Hegseth Plans Fort Hood Execution Livestream Amid Backlash

The Trump administration plans to make the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan public through a livestream on December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, where Hasan killed 13 people in a 2009 mass shooting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the plan, which has drawn criticism from lawmakers and legal experts.

According to CNN, Hasan's execution would be the first US Army execution by firing squad since World War II and the first military death penalty imposed in 65 years. The execution method was approved by President Donald Trump after a recommendation from Hegseth.

Hegseth said the execution would involve soldiers with rifles, while the Pentagon said it would provide additional logistical details later. He defended public access as a way to show the consequences of severe crimes.

"We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things," said Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary.

Vice President JD Vance questioned whether the livestream would proceed and said he would not watch it if it happened. He also acknowledged Hasan's 2009 attack while discussing the controversy over the execution method.

"I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen," said JD Vance, Vice President.

Vance later repeated his uncertainty about the planned broadcast while speaking with reporters, according to the New York Times. He said his decision would remain the same if the livestream moved forward.

"I don’t know that that’s going to happen," said JD Vance, Vice President.

"It’s … particularly celebrating death in a very violent way, which seems to me both an additional infringement on the dignity of the person executed, and, and also something that hardens the public to the idea that murder is wrong or death is wrong," said Sheri Lynn Johnson, assistant director of the Death Penalty Project at Cornell Law School.

Johnson told CNN that executions have typically been witnessed by limited groups such as media members, lawyers, and family members. She argued that broad public access could affect how society views state executions.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina also criticized the plan, saying public executions conflict with American values. He compared the practice with executions carried out by authoritarian governments.

"Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America," said Thom Tillis, Republican senator from North Carolina.

Trump confirmed he approved Hasan's execution method and addressed questions about his role in the livestream decision. The president said the administration would determine how the public viewing would proceed.

"Did I approve?" said Donald Trump, President.

The president's response to the approval question was followed by a direct confirmation of his decision. The New York Times reported that Trump said he had signed off on the plan.

"Absolutely I did," said Donald Trump, President.

The Death Penalty Information Center said only six firing squad executions have occurred in the US since 1977, including three in South Carolina in the previous year. The method is currently permitted in five states as an execution option.