Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stirred controversy on Wednesday by reciting a fabricated Bible verse from Quentin Tarantino’s 1994 film Pulp Fiction during a prayer service at the Pentagon. The passage, falsely attributed to Ezekiel 25:17, was presented as a prayer delivered by Sandy 1, an A-10 crew member, before a recent rescue mission in Iran.
Hegseth, speaking at a worship event, urged attendees to join him in prayer, describing the text as CSAR 25:17, meant to echo the biblical verse. He recited, “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.” The prayer continued with a vow of vengeance, altering the original film script to reference the Sandy 1 call sign instead of “the Lord.”
The lines closely mirror a monologue by Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Pulp Fiction, where the fake verse is delivered before a violent act. In contrast, the actual Ezekiel 25:17 from the King James Bible reads far more briefly and lacks the dramatic flair of Tarantino’s creation.
Hegseth claimed the prayer was provided by the lead mission planner of a rescue operation for two Air Force crew members shot down over Iran earlier this month. He framed it as a unifying invocation for the combat search and rescue (CSAR) mission, a detail that has drawn scrutiny given the cinematic origin of the text.
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Compounding the controversy, Hegseth’s actions come as he faces significant political heat. On the same day as the sermon, nine House Democrats filed articles of impeachment against him, accusing the Defense Secretary of war crimes, abuse of power, and mishandling Department of Defense operations. Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari specifically cited attacks on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran, alleging Hegseth violated his oath and endangered U.S. servicemembers.
Despite the accusations, the impeachment effort faces an uphill battle. With Republicans holding majorities in both the House and Senate, securing the necessary simple majority in the House and two-thirds majority in the Senate for removal remains unlikely. Historically, no cabinet official has been removed via impeachment, though Secretary of War William Belknap resigned in 1876 before a Senate vote.
Hegseth has been hosting regular church services at the Pentagon in recent months, a practice that has added to the public and political focus on his tenure. His adaptation of a Hollywood script into a military prayer has intensified debates over his leadership style and decision-making.
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