US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quoted Pulp Fiction instead of real bible verse

by

Pete Hegseth, the U.S. Secretary of War, recently quoted a modified bible verse from the movie Pulp Fiction during a prayer service at the Pentagon.

While leading a prayer at the Pentagon on April 15th, Hegseth mistakenly quoted a line from a cult film. This happened as he spoke about the operation to save a fighter pilot who had gone down in Iran.

On April 3rd, a pilot flying an F-15 jet was shot down over southern Iran. A US combat search and rescue team successfully rescued the pilot 24 hours later.

I couldn’t believe it when I heard about this! Apparently, Pete Hegseth actually quoted Samuel L. Jackson’s famous speech from Pulp Fiction while giving a sermon about something else. It was the whole Ezekiel 25:17 thing – so unexpected!

Pete Hegseth recited the Pulp Fiction version of Ezekiel 25:17

In a video from Defense Now, Hegseth shared that he learned a prayer from Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) personnel. He explained it’s known as “CSAR 25:17,” a reference to the biblical verse Ezekiel 25:17.

Hegseth then delivered a speech that was almost a direct copy of a famous monologue from the movie Pulp Fiction. The only change was a final reference to members of the military, replacing the original religious phrasing: “The life of a fallen pilot is surrounded by unfairness and the oppression of bad people. Those who, with friendship and a sense of duty, guide the lost through difficult times are truly looking out for their fellow service members and helping those in need.”

I will relentlessly and fiercely punish anyone who tries to capture or harm my brother, and you’ll recognize me as Sandy One when I do. That’s a promise.

Many viewers of Pulp Fiction recall Jules Winnifield quoting a passage right before shooting Brett, who had betrayed Marcellus Wallace. This famous speech is actually based on Ezekiel 25:17 from the Bible, which originally reads: “And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”

It’s not surprising the scenes are so alike—Tarantino actually borrowed Jules’ famous, calm speech from the 1976 film Bodyguard Chiba. That film’s version referenced “Chiba the Bodyguard” instead of “the Lord.”

The rewritten verse is so close to the original that it’s often mistaken for it, and Hegseth is just the most recent example of someone being misled.

Interested in learning more about Pulp Fiction? Check out our list of the greatest films of all time, and then take a look at the movies we’re most excited about in 2026.

Read More

2026-04-16 19:49