Trump’s Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth recited a bizarre prayer inspired by Pulp Fiction during a service as Democrats filed articles of impeachment against him
Donald Trump’s Pentagon powerhouse has raised eyebrows after reciting a bizarre prayer inspired by the cult classic movie Pulp Fiction.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stunned attendees at a Pentagon worship service by quoting lines famously delivered by Samuel L. Jackson’s hitman character, Jules Winnfield. While the lines are often mistaken for scripture, they were actually penned by Hollywood directors Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary for the 1994 blockbuster.
Hegseth claimed the prayer was passed to him by a lead mission planner involved in a rescue operation for two Air Force crew members downed in Iran. Addressing the congregation, Hegseth said: “The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.
“Blessed is he who, in the name of camaraderie and duty, shepherd the lost through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.
“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.”
In the movie, Jackson’s character falsely attributes the speech to Ezekiel 25:17 before executing a man. While the latter half of the quote does draw from the biblical condemnation of the Philistines, the “downed aviator” portion is pure Hollywood.
Hegseth further tweaked the text, replacing references to “the Lord” with his own military unit’s call sign. The cinematic sermon comes at a precarious time for the Defence Secretary.
As he held his regular Pentagon church service, House Democrats were busy filing articles of impeachment against him. A group of nine Democrats has levelled serious allegations against Hegseth, including war crimes, abuse of power and mishandling the Department of Defence.
Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari hit out at the chief, claiming he is “violating his oath, endangering US servicemembers, and committing war crimes, including attacks on civilians and a girls’ school in Minab, Iran.”
She added: “Only Congress can declare war; his actions demand immediate removal.”
Despite the fiery rhetoric, Hegseth’s job appears safe for now. With Republicans controlling both the House and the Senate, the odds of a successful impeachment are slim to none.
To be booted from office, Hegseth would need to be hit with a simple majority in the House followed by a staggering two-thirds majority in the Senate.
History is also on his side as no cabinet official has ever been forcibly removed via impeachment. The closest the US came was in 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap quit before the hammer could fall.
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