Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth delivered a sermon at the Pentagon, but it did not quote from the Bible. Instead, he used a quote from the popular movie ‘Pulp Fiction.’ The incident comes amid recent public disagreements between the Trump administration and leaders in the Catholic Church. President Donald Trump previously posted an AI-generated Jesus photo of himself and later described it as a doctor.
Hegseth quoted Quentin Tarantino’s movie, “The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.”
He continued, “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.”
Did you guys watch this clip from Pete Hegseth quoting a fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction at a Pentagon speech and prayer session yesterday? OMFG pic.twitter.com/FpBCEvFIVs
— ᗰᗩƳᖇᗩ (@LePapillonBlu2) April 16, 2026
Hegseth quoted dialogue written by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary for the film. Hegseth is a member of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches and has conducted religious services at the Pentagon, according to previous reports.
He finished the prayer with, “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.”
The characters in Pulp Fiction say these dialogues in the movie before killing a criminal who owed their boss money. Apart from not being from the Bible, using this for a sermon is tone-deaf, adding to the administration’s controversies with the Vatican.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quotes a fake Pulp Fiction Bible verse during Pentagon sermon
He runs a bible study at the White House every week pic.twitter.com/U4Q9NYLmf5
— HOT SPOT (@HotSpotHotSpot) April 16, 2026
Earlier, Vice President JD Vance told the Vatican officials to focus on matters of morality when he was defending Trump’s disagreement with the pope. He called Trump’s AI Jesus photo a joke, a reflection of the president’s humor. He also said disagreements between political and religious leaders are normal and that the Vatican should allow the president to carry out his duties.
This was after Pope Leo XIV criticized Trump for the war in Iran. In addition, House Speaker Mike Johnson also slammed Pope over his comments. His comments were in agreement with Vance, as he said, “A pontiff or any religious leader can say anything they want, but obviously, if you wade into political waters, I think you should expect some political response, and I think the pope’s received some of that.”
