Pete Hegseth recites a Tarantino

The pop culture seems to continue infiltrating into the American military discourse on the war in Iran. After videos were released on X containing excerpts from Superman, SpongeBob, or Top Gun: Maverick, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth seems to have recited a prayer on Wednesday that closely resembles a famous monologue from the film Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino.

The scene took place on Wednesday during a Pentagon religious service, a common practice under Hegseth’s authority. The Secretary of Defense proposed to read a prayer supposedly recited by a soldier called “Sandy One” to search and rescue teams before CSAR missions, one of which recently involved saving two American pilots whose aircraft was hit by Iran.

“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 ‘Sandy One’ when I lay my vengeance upon thee,” Hegseth continued before concluding, “Amen.”

Several media outlets and internet users have pointed out that the prayer recited by Hegseth bears some similarities to the monologue recited by Jules Winnfield, played by Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction, just before he shoots a young man.

The Pentagon chief specified on Wednesday that the military prayer was named “CSAR 25:17,” likely a reference to the biblical passage Ezekiel 25:17 mentioned in Tarantino’s character’s monologue.

Context: US Secretary of Defense recites a prayer that resembles a famous movie monologue, sparking discussion and comparisons.

Fact Check: The Pentagon chief faces impeachment charges for allowing attacks on Iran without congressional approval and failing to prevent deadly strikes on a school and suspected drug trafficking boats in Venezuela.