Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared convinced that he was delivering a potent, faith-filled moment this week as he recited what he presented as scripture during a Pentagon worship service. In reality, critics quickly noted that the dramatic passage was dialogue made famous in “Pulp Fiction,” instantly turning the moment into a headache for many.
Backlash arrived swiftly and spread widely enough to push the Pentagon into damage-control mode, yet online critics argued that the attempted cleanup only magnified the embarrassment and spawned an entirely new problem.
During the April 15 event, Hegseth referenced what he described as the “CSAR 25:17” prayer while discussing the rescue operation of an American fighter pilot who was stranded in Iran.
According to Defense Now, Hegseth told the assembly that the prayer had been recited by the “Sandy One” Combat Search and Rescue mission in Iran. “They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17,” the secretary stated.
Here’s what Hegseth said:
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherds 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. Amen.”
The “custom” portion was not drawn from the Bible at all. It was a military-flavored rewrite of the famous monologue delivered by Samuel L. Jackson as Jules Winnfield in the 1994 classic, just before he shoots a man in one of the film’s most iconic scenes.
The actual King James Bible version of Ezekiel 25:17 is considerably shorter and 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 mismatch quickly sparked ridicule online.
“That’s quite an achievement. In one week, Trump mocks Jesus, Vance mocks the Pope, and Hegseth reads fake Bible quotes. Way to go, boys,” @PeterMN99 wrote on X.
“Hahaha, this coming from an administration that told the Pope to stay out of politics,” commented @Fckd_Voter95 on X. “This could honestly be an SNL sketch.”
Then came the cleanup attempt.
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stepped in on Thursday, insisting that Hegseth had shared a “custom prayer” supplied to him by the mission planner involved in the daylight rescue of two downed Air Force service members in Iran.
Parnell acknowledged the wording was “obviously inspired” by “Pulp Fiction” and argued that both the prayer and the movie dialogue reflected Ezekiel 25:17.
He then blasted critics, saying anyone alleging Hegseth had misquoted scripture was spreading “fake news” and was “ignorant of reality.”
That explanation opened a fresh round of backlash.
“‘They call it CSAR 25:17 which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17.’ He said it was a prayer. It was not. It was dialogue created for a movie. Only one peddling fake news here is you sir,” one response read.
Meanwhile, another commenter speculated, “well this is embarrassing for you, no one cares. peter sagwig = worthless.”
“WHAT THE F*** IS A ‘CUSTOM PRAYER’ EITHER IT’S IN SCRIPTURE OR IT ISN’T….YOU CAN’T FIX STUPID,” another post declared.
The push to stir religious sentiment is described as part of Hegseth’s “proselytizing Christian campaign” in his role, according to The Washington Post.
“What seems to be happening at the Pentagon are services that essentially recognize only a particular religious tradition,” Dickinson College President John E. Jones III told The Conversation. “And it’s notable that Americans United for Separation of Church and State filed suit against both the Defense Department and the Labor Department because there are similar activities occurring there.”
House Democrats filed six articles of impeachment against Hegseth on Wednesday, accusing the defense secretary of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” in reference to the attack on Iran without congressional authorization and deadly strikes on suspected drug-smuggling boats, among other official actions, according to The Guardian.
“You choose to contort Christianity into an excuse for a life of violence. You have perverted your faith to justify murder,” @politicsforlove added. “Why is it always those who profess to be the most fervent believers in this war? They always manipulate other people to die for them.”
Kingsley Wilson, a Pentagon spokesperson, dismissed the impeachment articles as an attention-seeking bid.
“This is just another charade in an attempt to distract the American people from the major successes we have had here at the Department of War,” she said in a statement to Axios.
