CNN panel is stunned by host's bizarre question about Karen Pence teaching at Christian school

The panel on CNN appeared to be stunned at the insinuation from host John King that Karen Pence, the wife of Vice President Mike Pence, should be stripped of Secret Service protection because she teaches at a Christian school.

The issue arose after several news outlets began criticizing Pence and his wife over the stated policy at the school that students and staff should not participate in homosexual activity or behavior.

"Does it matter that all taxpayers pay for her housing?" asked King at the end of the segment.

"All taxpayers pay for her Secret Service protection?" he continued. "You know, it's not her fault she needs protection, that's the world that we live in."

"But all taxpayers pay for, subsidize for life, does it matter?" he added.

Olivier Knox, the chief White House correspondent for SiriusXM, appeared confused by the implication made by King, and after a pause, responded negatively.

"So you mean do her First Amendment freedoms get somehow curtailed because taxpayers pay for her accommodations and her security?" he asked. "I don't know that a lot of people would sign on to that."

"But other people have the First Amendment freedom to criticize, and they should expect that," added Washington Post congressional reporter Karoun Demirjian.

"Everything is fair debate, we live in a Democracy," King concluded.

Vice President Pence defended his wife from the media criticism on Thursday where he cited the history of Christian education in America and called the reaction "offensive."

"My wife and I have been in the public eye for quite a while but I have to tell you, to see major news organizations attacking Christian education is deeply offensive," Pence said to EWTN's Lauren Ashburn.

"We have a rich tradition of Christian education and, frankly, religious education broadly defined," he explained. "We celebrate it. The freedom of religion is enshrined in the Constitution of the United States."

"The Constitution prohibits a religious test for holding public office," he concluded defiantly, "so we'll let critics roll off our backs."

Here's the video of the odd exchange: