Pete Hegseth draws criticism after Pulp Fiction 'Bible verse' at Pentagon service

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has found himself the subject of strong criticism and online trolling after reciting a prayer at a Pentagon service on Wednesday. Clips of Hegseth went viral on social media after several netizens pointed out that his "prayer" was eerily similar to a monologue by Samuel L. Jackson in the Oscar-winning 1994 film, 'Pulp Fiction'.

During the service, Hegseth read a text he called "CSAR 25:17," saying it was a prayer given to him by the "lead mission planner" of the U.S.'s rescue operation of two Air Force crew members who were shot down over Iran, which he thought "meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17." "The path of the downed aviator," Hegseth said, "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 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."

Netizens quickly pointed out that these lines were very similar to the fictional "Ezekiel 25:17" speech from 'Pulp Fiction', delivered by Jackson's character, Jules Winnfield, before he kills a man. However, instead of Hegseth's "downed aviator" and "the lost," the Quentin Tarantino movie mentions the "righteous man" and the "weak." While Hegseth's prayer ends with "And you will know my call sign is Sandy 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee," in 'Pulp Fiction', Jules Winnfield says, "And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee."

The actual Ezekiel 25:17 verse in the King James Bible is much shorter and does not include the dramatic expression of violence from Tarantino's script. "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," it reads.

Several netizens have sharply criticized Hegseth's words at the Pentagon prayer service, with many trolling the War Secretary. "So Pete Hegseth tries to chastise media reporters for making up 'fake' news, by quoting a 'fake' bible verse from 'Pulp Fiction'?? You couldn't make this up!" an X user commented on a video of Hegseth delivering the prayer. "That happens when you get your Bible verses from Google instead of from the Bible," another user wrote.

Hegseth's statement comes even as he continues to be targeted by critics for allegedly giving the Iran war a religious guise. "Pete Hegseth is doing to Christianity what Al-Qaeda did to Islam," Christopher Hale, publisher for 'Letters from Leo', said on X. Among lawmakers, Representative Yassamin Ansari (D-Ariz.) is leading an impeachment effort against the War Secretary. "Pete Hegseth broke his oath to the Constitution, put U.S. troops at grave risk through the unauthorized disclosure of classified information, engaged in abuse of office, and conduct beneath the dignity of his office," Ansari said in a statement.

Hegseth's supporters called the backlash a partisan distraction. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told TIME, "Hegseth is doing an outstanding job," and dismissed the impeachment as a "totally unserious act by backbencher Democrats who are desperate for headlines."