Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Shared a Fake Bible Quote and He's Getting Dragged Online
"All these Republican clowns cosplay as Christians."
Published April 16 2026, 2:26 p.m. ET
It’s one thing to be inspired by another person’s prayer; it’s another to read another person’s prayer word for word and pass it off as true scripture. However, it appears members of the Trump administration don't always follow the rules.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has become the laughingstock of social media after news of his latest misstep spread. While giving a sermon at the Pentagon’s worship service on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, it appears that he took a page out of a different book when reading "scripture." The scripture is not only fake, but it’s also from a popular movie.
Pete Hegseth’s fake bible quote originated from Samuel L. Jackson’s character in the 1994 film, ‘Pulp Fiction.’
Per The Independent, Pete kicked things off by discussing the drowned pilots in Iran who were brought back via the Sandy 1 rescue mission in early April 2026. After sharing the good news, he decided to lead the audience in prayer, only to end up with egg on his face.
“The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil man,” Pete said. “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.”
He continued: “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. Amen.”
Keep in mind, Pete shared that the prayer, “CSAR 25:17,” which stands for “Combat Search and Rescue,” is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17 before asking folks to pray with him.
However, anyone who reads and studies the bible would immediately call out the fact that the verse is inaccurate.
Ezekiel 25:17 reads as follows: “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.”
That said, not only is the scripture wrong, but movie fans know that his version actually comes from Pulp Fiction.
Before Jules Winnfield (portrayed by Samuel L. Jackson) kills a character in the film, he says a short prayer.
“There’s a passage I got memorized, seems appropriate for this situation: Ezekiel 25:17,” Jackson’s character says. “The path of 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 goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children."
He continues: "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 you.”
Social media users have been ripping Pete Hegseth a new one.
Of course, anyone will tell you that it’s never smart to play when it comes to religion. And since many folks take scripture very seriously, they believe it’s meant to be respected at all costs.
So, once Pete’s “prayer” spread online, folks wasted no time bashing him.
“Pulp Fiction was a great movie. Pete Hegseth? Not so much. All these Republican clowns cosplay as Christians. It's so aggravating,” one person shared on X.
“Woe to those who manipulate religion and the very name of God for their own military, economic, and political gain, dragging that which is sacred into darkness and filth,” Pope Leo XIV shared on X.
Pete has not responded to the outrage online as of yet, but we have a feeling that some type of excuse will be made for the misstep.