Pete Hegseth wrongly quotes Samuel L Jackson's bible verse from Pulp Fiction during Pentagon speech
Hegseth made the comments during a prayer on Wednesday
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth mistakenly quoted an iconic scene from Pulp Fiction instead of the bible while giving a prayer at the Pentagon.
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The monologue from Quentin Tarantino's hit 1994 film was referenced in the speech while he asked Christians to pray alongside him for rescue crews involved in the mission to find a downed US fighter pilot in Iran.
Hegseth said the prayer was based on a Bible passage in the Old Testament book of Ezekiel, but instead used an edited version of a speech delivered by actor Samuel L Jackson in the movie just before he shoots a man to death.
The actual bible verse pledges "great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes," which was changed to the altered version.
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Hegseth said: "This prayer was recited by Sandy 1, which is one of the Sandies, to all Sandies, all those A-10 crews, prior to all CSAR missions, but especially this CSAR mission, which happened in real time.
"They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17."
The shortest passage is the Bible verse 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."
Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction. However, both the CSAR prayer… https://t.co/KMRNQ9MBcc
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellASW) April 16, 2026
Defending Hegseth, Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, wrote on X: Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction.
"However, both the CSAR prayer and the dialogue in Pulp Fiction were reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service.
"Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality."
In the film, just before Jackson’s character delivers the killing of a crooked business partner, he declares: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.
"Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.
"And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers."
Last week, Hegseth said men in the US who are eligible to fight for their country will be automatically registered for the military's draft pool starting in December.
Most men between the ages of 18 and 25 are already required to register with the Selective Service System (SSS).
But new proposals, set out under Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, will see those men automatically registered in the pool within 30 days of their 18th birthday.