Criticism is mounting over the U.S. Department of Defense’s announcement that it will live stream the execution of a US military execution broadcast shooter involved in the 2009 Fort Hood military base attack.
On December 8, the Pentagon stated in a press release that Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people in the 2009 shooting, will face execution by firing squad, which will be broadcast live. Hasan’s execution is scheduled for December 3, though the exact streaming method has not yet been determined.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis posted on X, stating that while Hasan deserves the death penalty, making it public and live-streaming it is extremely disgusting. He added that public executions are something authoritarian regimes like Iran and Afghanistan do, and it is something that should not happen in the United States.
Republican Senator John Curtis and Representative Austin Scott also expressed concerns and urged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reconsider the decision.
The United Nations also criticized the move, stating that it is frankly appalling for a government to execute someone publicly or in front of a live-streaming camera.
Stephane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, said during a regular briefing at UN Headquarters in New York that public executions seen in other countries like Iran and Afghanistan can amount to cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.
Vice President JD Vance also expressed a negative stance regarding the live-streaming plan. In a press gaggle on the 9th, while stating that the death sentence for Hasan is justified, he mentioned that he would not watch if the execution is broadcast live.
Vance remarked that he is not sure if it will actually happen and that they should wait and see. The Washington Post reported that Vance’s remarks marked the first time a senior Trump administration official showed discomfort with the Pentagon’s public execution decision.
President Trump stated that the firing squad execution for Hasan is justified, noting that he deserves such punishment. However, when asked if he supports the live stream, he avoided giving a definitive answer, saying he understands that the issue is currently being decided.
Hasan, who was a psychiatrist and military doctor with the rank of major, shouted “Allahu Akbar” while working at Fort Hood in Texas on November 5, 2009, and opened indiscriminate fire. The attack resulted in the deaths of 13 service members and civilians, with 32 others injured.
Investigations revealed that Hasan, a Muslim, committed a “homegrown terrorist” act under psychological stress ahead of his deployment to Afghanistan, marking the incident as one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.
President Trump, an advocate of capital punishment, approved the U.S. Army firing squad execution for Hasan recommended by Secretary Hegseth, which was announced on the 5th.
This marks the first time in 65 years that the U.S. military is executing a service member, following the hanging of Army Private John Bennett for attempted rape and murder on April 13, 1961. The last firing squad execution was carried out by a rifle unit on November 9, 1945, shortly after World War II.
If the execution is carried out publicly, it will be the first public execution in the United States since 1936, when Black man Rainey Bethea was publicly hanged in Kentucky for the rape of a white woman. The Washington Post reported that if Hasan’s execution is live-streamed, it will become the first instance of U.S. authorities showing an execution to the public in real time.
