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Hegseth thinks he is quoting the Bible, but it is Pulp Fiction: controversy over gaffe

The US Defence Secretary recites a military prayer modelled on the famous monologue from Tarantino's film during a Pentagon service

17 April 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

A video of US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth released in recent hours has fuelled online controversy and irony after many users felt he was misquoting a Bible passage during a Pentagon service. In reality, Hegseth was reading a military prayer deliberately inspired by the famous Pulp Fiction monologue, itself based on a fictionalized version of the verse Ezekiel 25:17.

The text, called CSAR 25:17 - an apparent reference to the biblical passage - was allegedly used, according to Hegseth himself, during a mission to rescue the pilot of an American F-15E fighter jet shot down in Iran earlier this month.

Addressing those present at the Department of Defence, the Pentagon chief invited the assembly to join in the prayer by reading: 'The path of the downed airman is obstructed on every side by the injustices of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of comradeship and duty, leads the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the one who finds his lost sons.

He then concluded: "And I will strike down with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother, and you will know that my call sign is Sandy 1 when I unleash my vengeance upon you. Amen".

The formula clearly recalls the monologue recited in Pulp Fiction by the character played by Samuel L. Jackson, who in the film pronounces a reworked and largely invented version of the passage from Ezekiel 25:17 before killing a man.

Instead, the authentic biblical text reads: "And I will wreak great vengeance upon them with furious chastisements; and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I exert my vengeance upon them".

After the release of the videos, numerous users claimed that Hegseth believed he was reading an actual scripture verse. However, the Pentagon rejected this interpretation. Spokesman Sean Parnell, speaking on X, clarified: "Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a customised prayer, referred to as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave Sandy-1 fighters who led the Dude 44 Alpha daylight rescue mission out of Iran, clearly inspired by dialogue from Pulp Fiction.

Parnell added that both the military prayer and the dialogue in the film can be traced back to the same biblical reference, accusing critics of spreading 'fake news'.

Hegseth has already been criticised in the past for frequent references to Christianity in official briefings and for promoting monthly religious services at the Pentagon. Former White House strategist Steve Bannon also intervened in the case, urging the Secretary of Defence to limit religious references in communications on the conflict with Iran, arguing that they distract attention from the operational aspects outlined by the military leadership.