Hegseth recites ‘Pulp Fiction’ speech at Pentagon prayer service

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth referenced a line from the movie “Pulp Fiction” during a Pentagon prayer meeting. The quote, originally spoken by Samuel L. Jackson’s character right before a violent act, was presented as if it were a bible verse.

I was struck by how the secretary twisted a prayer to make the war in Iran seem like something God wanted – a form of righteous punishment. It reminded me instantly of that powerful scene in the film, where Jackson’s character uses the same kind of reasoning to justify his actions, right before he… well, you know. It’s chilling how easily faith can be manipulated to support violence.

Pete Hegseth shared with attendees at a Pentagon worship service on Wednesday that he picked up a particular prayer from the lead planner of “Sandy 1,” the team that recently saved Air Force personnel who went down in Iran.

Hegseth explained that combat search-and-rescue teams often recite this verse, referring to it as “CSAR 25:17,” a nod to Ezekiel 25:17 in the Bible.

Hegseth quoted the line, “I will punish those who try to capture or harm my brother with terrible fury and relentless anger.” He then added, “You’ll know I’m coming for them – my call sign is Sandy 1.”

The famous speech from Ezekiel 25:17 in “Pulp Fiction” is mostly the work of the screenwriter, not the Bible. Only the very last part is inspired by the actual biblical verse. The bulk of the speech actually comes from the beginning of the 1976 Japanese martial arts film “The Bodyguard,” starring Sonny Chiba.

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Hegseth’s one-minute prayer largely stuck to prepared talking points, with only the final two lines having biblical origins. Instead of the traditional phrase “and they shall know that I am the Lord” from Ezekiel, he used the call sign of the A-10 Warthog aircraft.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell responded to reports claiming Pete Hegseth confused a Golden Globe-winning performance by Jackson with actual religious text, dismissing those claims as false.

According to a post on X, Secretary Hegseth recently shared a prayer used by the rescue team – Sandy-1 – who successfully brought Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran. This prayer, known as the CSAR prayer, was inspired by a famous scene in the movie Pulp Fiction. However, Parnell pointed out that both the prayer and the movie dialogue actually come from the biblical verse Ezekiel 25:17, which Secretary Hegseth acknowledged when he spoke at the prayer service. Parnell insists that claims the Secretary misquoted the verse are false and inaccurate.

Hegseth has often used his prayer meetings to express support for violent action in the conflict involving Iran. During a recent sermon last month, he prayed for a specific group to be given clear and justified targets for attacks.

According to a defense analyst familiar with the Pentagon, attending these events isn’t required. However, some people who work with Sebastian Hegseth’s office report feeling subtly pressured to participate and ensure the events appear well-attended.

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According to a source with inside knowledge, the result is that less focus is being given to the Pentagon’s actual war efforts, and more attention is going towards what some see as political gestures. This source was not permitted to speak publicly and asked to remain unnamed.

According to a source, managers and leaders are being pulled away from essential tasks to attend meetings focused on things like movie quotes from ‘Pulp Fiction.’ This is slowing down our ability to make important decisions related to operations and warfighting.

The prayer followed a growing dispute between the Trump administration and Pope Leo XIV. The Pope had recently voiced opposition to the U.S.-Israeli military actions in Iran, and his statements were met with strong reactions from President Trump, who publicly stated he doesn’t want a pope who criticizes the U.S. president.

On Thursday, the pope released a statement against military leaders who conflate war with divinity.

It breaks my heart to see anyone exploit faith – twisting something holy like religion and God’s name – just to benefit themselves through war, money, or power. It’s a terrible thing to drag something so sacred down into something dirty and shameful, and it deeply upsets me to witness it.

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2026-04-17 00:31