Colin Jost has revealed a remarkable coincidence involving Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and a fictional Bible verse from the 1994 film Pulp Fiction. The Saturday Night Live star claims he and the show's writers conceived the exact scenario that Hegseth would later perform at the Pentagon, only to dismiss it as too absurd for television.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, May 14, Jost, 43, explained how the writers room discussion unfolded approximately two months prior. The comedian, who has been impersonating Hegseth on the variety show throughout the season, recalled pitching an idea for a cold open sketch.
"We were talking in the writers room, we were pitching ideas for one of the cold opens like two months ago," Jost said. "And I was like, 'Would it be funny if Hegseth just did that bible verse that they have in Pulp Fiction.'"
The writers discussed incorporating the concept into their sketch but ultimately concluded it would be too ridiculous to pursue. However, reality soon surpassed their fictional scenario when Hegseth, 45, delivered precisely that performance at a Pentagon event.
"And then, he for-real did it … like two weeks later!" Jost shared. "And I was like, 'Well, the good news is, I'm being surveilled.' So, that's a relief."
The incident in question occurred last month when Hegseth spoke at a "Faith in Military" event at the Pentagon. During his remarks, the Secretary of War recited what he called the CSAR prayer, which closely mirrors Samuel L. Jackson's memorable speech from Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction.
"They call it CSAR 25:17, which I think is meant to reflect Ezekiel 25:17," Hegseth began. "It reads — and pray with me please — 'The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men."
He continued with the modified passage: "Blessed is he who in the name of camaraderie and duty shepherds 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.' Amen."
The moment quickly went viral as observers recognized the passage as Tarantino's fictionalized version of Ezekiel 25:17. In the film, Jackson's character Jules recites the verse before he and his partner Vincent Vega, portrayed by John Travolta, execute a criminal.
The actual biblical verse of Ezekiel 25:17 is considerably shorter than both the film version and Hegseth's adaptation. The authentic passage reads: "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."
Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended Hegseth's remarks, asserting the recitation was intentional and contextually appropriate. Writing on X, Parnell explained that the Secretary shared a custom prayer used by warfighters involved in a rescue mission.
"Secretary Hegseth on Wednesday shared a custom prayer, referenced as the CSAR prayer, used by the brave warfighters of Sandy-1 who led the daylight rescue mission of Dude 44 Alpha out of Iran, which was obviously inspired by dialogue in Pulp Fiction," Parnell wrote. "However, both the CSAR prayer and the dialogue in Pulp Fiction were reflections of the verse Ezekiel 25:17, as Secretary Hegseth clearly said in his remarks at the prayer service. Anyone saying the Secretary misquoted Ezekiel 25:17 is peddling fake news and ignorant of reality."
The convergence of satirical comedy writing and real-world political theater raises questions about the increasingly blurred lines between entertainment and governance. For Jost and the Saturday Night Live writing team, the incident serves as an unusual validation of their creative instincts — even if the sketch never made it to air.
