Hegseth Faces Scrutiny Over Fake Bible Verse Used in Pentagon Worship Service
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under scrutiny after delivering a Pentagon prayer that echoed a fictional Bible verse from Pulp Fiction, raising new questions about religious messaging inside the Trump administration.
The controversy centers on a worship service tied to a U.S. military rescue mission in Iran, where Hegseth cited Ezekiel 25:17 but used language closely matching the film’s version instead of the actual scripture.
According to The Guardian and other outlets, the real biblical passage is much shorter, while Hegseth’s version included extended lines popularized by Samuel L. Jackson’s character in the 1994 movie.
The Pentagon has not clarified whether the wording was intentional, adapted, or mistakenly attributed, leaving a gap between official messaging and what was delivered publicly.
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“It closely resembled the version from Pulp Fiction, not the Bible,” one report noted.
The incident lands amid a broader pattern of religious framing inside the administration, where Hegseth has led recurring Pentagon prayer services and previously called for “overwhelming violence” against enemies in official remarks, according to Associated Press reporting.
Reuters reports that both Hegseth and Donald Trump have leaned more heavily on Christian symbolism during the Iran conflict, including comparing political opponents to biblical figures and framing military actions in religious terms.
That approach has drawn criticism from some religious leaders, including Pope Leo, who warned against using faith to justify war or political narratives.
The unresolved question now is whether the Pentagon will address the source of the prayer or clarify how religious messaging is being used in official settings.
For now, the controversy adds another layer to the administration’s increasingly visible alignment between political power and religious rhetoric.
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