Hegseth Recites 'Pulp Fiction' Prayer at Pentagon Service
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth read a CSAR prayer mirroring Pulp Fiction's Ezekiel 25:17 monologue at a Pentagon worship service after a Sandy 1 rescue of two downed Air Force service members.
Raw StoryHegseth aide offers quizzical explanation for boss's 'Pulp Fiction' prayer
Los Angeles TimesHegseth recites 'Pulp Fiction' speech at Pentagon prayer service
Daily BeastPentagon Pete Goon Offers Wild Explanation for ‘Pulp Fiction’ Prayer
New York MagazinePete Hegseth Adds Press and Pulp Fiction to His Sacrilege
Overview
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recited a Combat Search and Rescue prayer that closely mirrored the 'great vengeance and furious anger' monologue from Pulp Fiction while leading a Pentagon worship service on Wednesday.
Hegseth said he learned the prayer from the lead mission planner of team 'Sandy 1,' which recently rescued two downed Air Force service members in Iran, and he said the prayer was meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on X that Hegseth's prayer was 'obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction' and defended that both the CSAR prayer and the film's dialogue reflected Ezekiel 25:17.
A senior defense analyst said the services are not mandatory but described an 'implied pressure' that has led managers and leaders to miss mission-critical work to attend the prayer meetings.
On Thursday, the pope released a statement condemning military leaders who conflate war with divinity, saying 'Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain.'
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this coverage as a critique of religious rhetoric used to justify state power, emphasizing patterns of politicized faith. They juxtapose Hegseth's CSAR 25:17 prayer with Pulp Fiction language, use charged labels like "illegal war," prioritize critical voices (e.g., Benjamin Cremer), and highlight policy examples like anti-LGBT measures to build a skeptical narrative.