Last month, Walters asked Drummond for an opinion on whether an executive order that bans federal funding from being used on undocumented people would apply to Oklahoma students.
The request put Drummond — who is running for governor in 2026 and a recent vocal supporter of President Donald Trump — potentially at odds with the administration.
Drummond responded Monday that as the order was directed at federal agencies, his office did not have jurisdiction to make the call. He told Walters to cooperate with however federal agencies implement the edict.
In Walters’ reply, he points to a section of the Oklahoma Constitution he says requires the attorney general to write opinions at the request of any state officer. He also gives several examples of when Drummond has opined on federal issues.
Drummond, who called the initial request “manufactured political drama,” was asked for a response free of “chastisement, hyperbole and baseless accusations.”
In a news release coupled with the request, Walters said Drummond’s response “undermines the stability and future of Oklahoma’s schools.”
“His continued inaction directly obstructs President Trump’s executive order,” Walters said in the release. “Rather than dealing, he should be working to implement the policy that Oklahomans overwhelmingly support. Every day his delay continues, Oklahomans are left waiting for the leadership and direction they deserve.”
Walters did not provide evidence for the claim that Oklahomans “overwhelmingly support” the executive order.
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