Overview
- Hegseth, leading a Pentagon worship service Wednesday, recited a “CSAR 25:17” prayer that closely tracked Samuel L. Jackson’s famous monologue from Pulp Fiction.
- Following Thursday’s coverage and online criticism, chief spokesman Sean Parnell said the words were a custom Combat Search and Rescue prayer and accused critics of pushing “fake news.”
- The actual Ezekiel 25:17 in the Bible is a short line about vengeance, while the longer wording popularized in the film was adapted from a 1970s Japanese movie, not scripture.
- Hegseth said the prayer came from Sandy-1, the A-10 call sign used by planners of a recent rescue of downed aircrew in Iran, presenting it as a tradition tied to CSAR missions.
- A Public Witness first flagged the movie overlap, and the episode has fueled backlash and fresh scrutiny of leadership-led services as Americans United pursues lawsuits over government-run worship.