#USA #DC – U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quoted a fabricated Bible verse that was made-up and popularized through Pulp Fiction directed by Quentin Tarantino. The quote was read during a Pentagon worship service on April 15, 2026.
In the service (tied to U.S. military actions, including against Iran), he read a prayer called “CSAR 2517” (Combat Search And Rescue, nodding to the verse number). It read:
“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men… 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 1 when I lay my vengeance upon thee, and amen.”
This closely mirrors Jules Winnfield’s (played by Samuel L. Jackson) monologue in Pulp Fiction, where he claims to quote Ezekiel 25:17 before killing someone. The movie version (written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, partly inspired by a 1970s Sonny Chiba martial arts film) is:
“The path of the righteous man 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 charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the 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 poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon thee.”
Hegseth referenced this falsified quote and adapted it for a military/search-and-rescue context (e.g., changing “the Lord” to a call sign), but he did not highlight the direct Pulp Fiction connection and is being questioned by observers and critics as to whether he realized the quote from Pulp Fiction was falsified and not actually from the Bible.
The real Ezekiel 25:17 (King James Version) is much shorter and different:
“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.”
This quote is part of a prophecy against the Philistines, not the elaborate, cinematic monologue from the movie. The long version is not in the Bible at all—it’s a well-known pop culture fabrication that sounds biblical. Many outlets and social media posts noted the Pulp Fiction origin, calling it a “fake Bible verse.” Nonetheless, this event fits Hegseth’s pattern of using strong, martial biblical language and prayers in Pentagon services invoking “overwhelming violence” or wrath. It has further added commentary against Hegseth for invoking Evangelical fundamentalism alongside other Trump administration personnel through the U.S. government, especially since the Iran War and declining support for that conflict.
This moment occurred at the same time House Democrats have introduced articles of impeachment against Pete Hegseth as Secretary of War. The motion was filed by Rep. Yassamin Ansari (D-AZ) with several Democratic co-sponsors—includes five or six articles alleging unauthorized war actions in Iran, violating Congress’s war powers, war crimes/abuse of power, mishandling of classified information, obstruction of oversight, and conduct undermining the Department of War. An earlier resolution (H.Res. 935) was introduced by Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI) in December 2025 and referred to the House Judiciary Committee, where it has remained.
Impeachment of a Cabinet official requires a simple majority in the House to pass articles, followed by a Senate trial (two-thirds vote to convict and remove). With GOP majorities, these articles have virtually no chance of advancing. However, they represent nonetheless disgruntled action against Hegseth, and cries for accountability from democratically elected members of U.S. government. For supporters and allies of Hegseth, they represent a potential realistic outcome in a midterm election if Democrats were to secure both the House and the Senate, as political analysts suggest that if the Democratic Party were successful in both chambers, there likely will be efforts to impeach U.S. President Trump for matters related to the Epstein Files and Iran War, and possibly even Cabinet officials.
Image: Secretary of War Pete Hegseth seen during the Pentagon worship service on April 15th, 2026.
