Stephen Colbert Responds to Pete Hegseth Citing the Bible—Oops, I Mean ‘Pulp Fiction.’

During a Pentagon worship service on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recited a prayer attributed to an air rescue group, which he noted was inspired by a passage from the Bible’s Ezekiel 25:17. Interestingly, the prayer closely mirrored a well-known monologue from Samuel L. Jackson’s character in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction. The Pentagon later described Hegseth’s delivery as a “custom prayer.”

On Thursday night, Stephen Colbert addressed this moment during The Late Show, presenting a clip of Hegseth alongside scenes from the 1994 film. The juxtaposition offered a rather surreal experience, as the U.S. Defense Secretary seemingly quoted the character Jules Winnfield, who famously interrogates a man while indulging in a Big Kahuna Burger.

Despite the bewilderment surrounding this event, Colbert expressed a sincere hope for Hegseth’s success, stating, “If he succeeds, that means America succeeds.” He gently encouraged viewers to join him in reflection, reminding us of the importance of positive intentions and the power of prayer in these challenging times.