Pete Hegseth Is Now Opening With Quentin Tarantino

Mother Jones
by Alex Nguyen
April 16, 2026
8 views
2 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth quoted a violent, fictional Bible passage from 'Pulp Fiction' at a Pentagon worship service.

How This Affects You

This incident could influence public perception of a high-ranking government official and potentially impact trust in leadership.

AI Summary

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth quoted a violent Bible passage from Quentin Tarantino’s *Pulp Fiction* during a Wednesday night worship service at the Pentagon. Hegseth recited the passage, which he called "CSAR 25:17," and stated it was used by a team involved in a combat search and rescue mission to save two Air Force crew members shot down in Iran earlier this month. This recitation, which frames violence as "righteous vengeance," appears to be a thinly veiled threat of continued violence against Iran. Vice President Vance told the audience that "the Lord's word" will influence future military decisions, such as the US blockade on Iranian ports in retaliation for Iran refusing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the justification of Hegseth's injection of religion into military policies.

Source Coverage Map

4 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

Overlooked Story
9% coverage
Did Not Cover (39)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96AP Top News96+34 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

Read Next
Who owns presidential records? Trump's Justice Department says it's him
Government Transparency

Who owns presidential records? Trump's Justice Department says it's him

The Trump administration asserts a nearly 50-year-old law requiring the preservation of presidential records is unconstitutional. Historians warn important papers could be destroyed.

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources