Pete Hegseth read out a Pulp Fiction quote as if it was from the Bible, and it just might be the final nail in his coffin

The US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, has found himself in the middle of a bizarre controversy after delivering a prayer that sounded much more like a script from a Hollywood blockbuster than a passage from the Bible. During a Wednesday event held to bless the Iran war effort, Hegseth stood at a podium and offered a prayer for search-and-rescue crews, as reported by The Guardian.

He told the crowd that the prayer, which he referred to as CSAR 25:17, was meant to reflect a passage from the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. It didn’t take long for observers to realize that the words he was reciting were nearly identical to the famous speech delivered by Samuel L. Jackson in the 1994 cult classic film, Pulp Fiction.

Hegseth, who has been a frequent subject of public discussion since the Iran crisis began, has built a reputation for being a bit of a Bible thumper. This latest incident, however, has led some to view him more as a plagiarist. The prayer he read was clearly modeled after the iconic monologue written by Quentin Tarantino for the character Jules Winnfield. In the movie, the character delivers the speech right before executing a business partner.

It is a moment of intense, cinematic violence, which makes it an incredibly odd choice for a military prayer session at the Pentagon

To get a better sense of how this unfolded, it helps to look at the actual text. The original Bible verse, Ezekiel 25:17, is actually quite short. It 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.” The version Hegseth recited was significantly longer and mirrored the structure of the movie script.

He said, “The path of the downed aviator 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 comradery and duty, shepherd the lost 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 capture and destroy my brother. And you will know my call sign is Sandy One, when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”

The fact that he didn’t mention the movie source at the event is what has people scratching their heads. Hegseth claimed that he thought the prayer he read “is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17”, yet he made no mention of the Tarantino script or the performance that earned Samuel L. Jackson an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Even Quentin Tarantino has admitted that he poached the fake Bible verse from a 1970s Japanese martial arts film called Bodyguard Kiba.

The Defense Secretary, who was elevated to this role from his previous position as a weekend television host, has been under fire for his frequent use of religious rhetoric. Megyn Kelly, a political commentator, has been vocal in her criticism, suggesting that the Pentagon is not the right venue for this kind of preaching.

We have seen clips of Hegseth praying at the podium before press conferences, and it is clear that he is comfortable performing for a crowd. This skill, which he honed during his time in media, was on display again Thursday morning when he compared the press to Pharisees. He said, “As the passage ends, the Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel against him, how to destroy him. I sat there in church and I thought: ‘Our press are just like these Pharisees. The hardened hearts of our press are calibrated only to impugn.’”

His relationship with the media has been consistently contentious throughout the six-week war. He has repeatedly condemned reporters for their skepticism regarding announcements from the White House and the Pentagon. Despite the administration claiming the war is already won and that Iran is begging for a deal, the reality on the ground has been subject to intense debate. Hegseth has even remarked on the media’s perceived negativity, telling them, “Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what side some of you are actually on.”

Following the incident, the Pentagon press secretary, Sean Parnell, took to X to address the situation. He acknowledged that the prayer was “obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction”, even though Hegseth had stayed silent on the matter during the actual event. Parnell went on to defend the secretary, stating, “Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality.”