Colin Jost Shares His Thoughts on Pete Hegseth’s Biblical Quote from ‘Pulp Fiction’ in a Joke That Didn’t Make It to ‘SNL’
Colin Jost, co-host of Weekend Update on Saturday Night Live, recently revealed that a rejected sketch idea of his mirrored an unexpected real-life moment involving Fox News host Pete Hegseth. Jost’s premise involved Hegseth reciting a fictitious Bible verse from Quentin Tarantino’s acclaimed film Pulp Fiction, a concept that seemed too outlandish at the time but turned out to be prescient.
In an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Jost explained, "We were talking in the writers room, we were pitching ideas for one of the cold opens like two months ago. And I was like, ‘Would it be funny if Hegseth just did that bible verse that they have in Pulp Fiction?’ … we talked about it, and we were like, ‘That would be too ridiculous.’”
To Jost’s surprise, Hegseth went ahead and delivered the verse during a prayer sermon at the Pentagon, just two weeks later. Jost reflected, “And then, he for-real did it like two weeks later! And I was like, ‘Well, the good news is, I’m being surveilled. So, that’s a relief.’”
The two-time Emmy-winning comedian has been known for his Hegseth impersonation, first introduced in the Season 51 cold open last October. Viewers can expect to see it again during the upcoming season finale, scheduled to air Saturday at 11:30 PM ET on NBC.
Hegseth’s sermon, which included a near-verbatim recitation of a Bible verse spoken by Pulp Fiction’s character Jules Winnfield, sparked significant backlash and ridicule after its broadcast. In a clip that circulated widely on social media, Hegseth stated, “The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men… And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to capture and destroy my brother."
In response to the criticism, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell asserted that Hegseth’s words were a "custom prayer" known as the CSAR prayer, utilized by military personnel involved in rescue missions. Parnell accused detractors of "peddling fake news and ignorant of reality," acknowledging the influence of Pulp Fiction on the sermon without denying its military context.
