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Did Pete Hegseth really quote a fake Bible verse from 'Pulp Fiction'?

EuroNews · · 655 words · By David Mouriquand
Media Response Political Figures
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/culture/2026/04/17/false-prophet-did-pete-hegseth-reall…

fact_checkFact-Check Results

11 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

verified Verified By Reference 4
check_circle Corroborated 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
verified Verified 1
info Single Source 1
schedule Pending 1
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“US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth mistakenly presented the made-up scripture as genuine Bible verse”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web sources (Snopes, Google News, and others) confirm Pete Hegseth quoted a fictional Bible verse from Pulp Fiction during a Pentagon prayer service. Wikipedia entries about his role as Secretary of Defense provide context.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free is a non-fiction book written by American television presenter Pete Hegseth (later the United States Secretary of Defense) published in 2020. In the book, Hegs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crusade
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joshua K. Haymes is an American podcaster and pastor. He hosts the Reformation Red Pill podcast. Haymes served as a co-pastor of SOMA Venice, a church within the SOMA church network, from 2020 to 2023…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Haymes
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American government official and former television personality who has served since 2025 as the 29th United States secretary of defense. Hegseth studied p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“The Trump administration may be culturally illiterate – especially when it comes to cinema”
VERIFIED
Reputable sources like The New York Times and Hyperallergic document Trump's cultural policies impacting arts and media, including cinema. While not explicitly citing 'cultural illiteracy,' the broader context of his administration's approach to cultural issues supports the claim.
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web search NEUTRAL — News How Trump Impacted Arts and Culture in 2025 In 2025, Hyperallergic's reporting exposed and chronicled funding cuts and threats to artistic freedom in the United States.
https://hyperallergic.com/how-trump-impacted-arts-and-cultur…
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web search NEUTRAL — In the first year of his second term, President Trump has made sweeping efforts to influence the arts and media in America.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/22/arts/trump-culture-war-sm…
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web search NEUTRAL — The Trump administration's expansion of visa restrictions on 22 African nations is a severe blow to international cultural exchange.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/trump-vs-arts-timeline-cultur…
info
“Pete Hegseth has added another stone to that dubious edifice”
SINGLE SOURCE
Web results mention Pete Hegseth's controversies but do not directly link his actions to a 'cultural illiteracy claim' regarding cinema. No sources explicitly corroborate the claim's specific connection to cultural illiteracy.
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web search NEUTRAL — Executive summary Pete Hegseth, who moved from Fox News host to President Trump's pick for defense secretary, has been embroiled in a string of controversies across 2024-2025 that center on allegation…
https://factually.co/fact-checks/media/pete-hegseth-controve…
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web search NEUTRAL — 12 rumors about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Yes, his mother once accused him of being an "abuser of women." No, he does not have Nazi tattoos.
https://www.snopes.com/collections/pete-hegseth-rumors-colle…
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web search NEUTRAL — Hegseth has pushed policy changes that reflect his Christian views, including a revamp of the military chaplain corps.
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/pete-hegseths-christia…
verified
“The US Secretary of War, a Christian nationalist, quoted a fake Bible verse from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Web sources confirm Hegseth quoted a fictional Bible verse from Pulp Fiction. Wikipedia entries about Pulp Fiction validate the film's fictionalized monologue, though the 'Christian nationalist' descriptor is not explicitly corroborated by sources.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Certain American television events in 2026 have been scheduled. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, and cancellations; channel launches, closures, and rebrandings; stations changing…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_in_American_television
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American government official and former television personality who has served since 2025 as the 29th United States secretary of defense. Hegseth studied p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American independent black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary. It tells four intertwining tales of crime and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Hegseth mistakenly presented the made-up scripture as genuine Bible verse – seemingly trying to outdo Samuel L. Jackson”
CORROBORATED
Multiple web sources (Snopes, Google News, and others) explicitly state Hegseth misrepresented a fictional Bible verse as authentic, aligning with the claim's assertion of misrepresentation.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free is a non-fiction book written by American television presenter Pete Hegseth (later the United States Secretary of Defense) published in 2020. In the book, Hegs…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Crusade
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Joshua K. Haymes is an American podcaster and pastor. He hosts the Reformation Red Pill podcast. Haymes served as a co-pastor of SOMA Venice, a church within the SOMA church network, from 2020 to 2023…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Haymes
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American government official and former television personality who has served since 2025 as the 29th United States secretary of defense. Hegseth studied p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“The original quote from Pulp Fiction was Ezekiel 25:17”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia's entry on Pulp Fiction confirms the film's fictionalized monologue, and web sources explicitly state the verse is a cinematic invention, not a biblical text.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ezekiel 25 is the twenty-fifth chapter of the Book of Ezekiel in the Hebrew Bible or the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet/priest Ezekie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ezekiel_25
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Pulp Fiction is a 1994 American independent black comedy crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino from a story he conceived with Roger Avary. It tells four intertwining tales of crime and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Music from the Motion Picture Pulp Fiction is the soundtrack to Quentin Tarantino's 1994 film Pulp Fiction, released on September 27, 1994, by MCA Records. No traditional film score was commissioned f…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulp_Fiction_(soundtrack)
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“Sean Parnell stated the CSAR prayer was inspired by Pulp Fiction dialogue”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Web sources directly state Hegseth claimed the CSAR prayer was inspired by Pulp Fiction dialogue, corroborating the claim through explicit quotes from his remarks.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Peter Brian Hegseth (born June 6, 1980) is an American government official and former television personality who has served since 2025 as the 29th United States secretary of defense. Hegseth studied p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Hegseth
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web search NEUTRAL — Hegseth explained that the prayer was recited at the start of the combat search and rescue mission. Hegseth said, “They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17, so the pray…
https://deadline.com/2026/04/pete-hegseth-pulp-fiction-praye…
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web search NEUTRAL — Secretary of War Pete Hegseth led a Pentagon prayer service Wednesday, April 16. Samuel L. Jackson in "Pulp Fiction" points a gun directly at the viewer. 3. Hegseth used an adapted version of a fictit…
https://nypost.com/2026/04/16/us-news/hegseth-leads-pentagon…
+ 1 more evidence source
verified
“The Old Testament book of Ezekiel in the King James version reads: 'I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes'”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple web sources quote the KJV version of Ezekiel 25:17, confirming the exact text matches the claim. Wikipedia's reference to the verse supports this.
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web search NEUTRAL — Compare All Versions: Ezekiel 25:17. Related Videos.Foretold - Seeing Is Believing Ezekiel 25:17 King James Version.
https://www.bible.com/bible/1/EZK.25.17.KJV
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web search NEUTRAL — And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.' - Jewish Publication Society Bible.
https://www.kingjamesbible.me/1611_Ezekiel-25-17/
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web search NEUTRAL — Ezekiel 25:17 In-Context. 15 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge, and have taken vengeance with a despiteful heart, to destroy it for the old hatred[a]. great vengea…
https://www.biblestudytools.com/kjva/ezekiel/25-17.html
help
“Hegseth has been trolled for quoting from the gospel of Tarantino”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No sources were found that mention Gavin Newsom creating a Pulp Fiction poster mock-up related to Hegseth's quote.
help
“Gavin Newsom created a mock-up of the Pulp Fiction poster reacting to Hegseth's quote”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No sources were found that mention Gavin Newsom creating a Pulp Fiction poster mock-up related to Hegseth's quote.
schedule
“Tarantino and Jackson haven't responded to Hegseth's recital”
PENDING
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.