Pentagon Plan to Livestream Nidal Malik Hasan Execution Draws Outrage
- The execution by firing squad of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated during an interview on Real America’s Voice that broadcasting the execution is necessary so people understand there are serious consequences for such crimes.
- Lawmakers from both political parties criticized the plan to stream the execution.
The execution by firing squad of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan is scheduled to take place at 1 p.m. local time on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood in Texas, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirming plans to livestream the event publicly on the internet. Hegseth defended the decision as a no-brainer punishment for a radical Islamist terror attack, while the announcement has drawn swift bipartisan outrage and international condemnation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth Defends Livestreaming Decision
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated during an interview on Real America’s Voice that broadcasting the execution is necessary so people understand there are serious consequences for such crimes. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell added that Hegseth recommended the use of an Army firing squad, a recommendation approved by President Donald Trump. Hegseth noted on the USS Abraham Lincoln that soldiers with rifles will carry out the sentence.
https://x.com/RealAmVoice/status/2108263115624243439
Lawmakers and Human Rights Experts Condemn the Public Broadcast
Lawmakers from both political parties criticized the plan to stream the execution. Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis called the decision beyond disgusting on X, writing that public executions resemble the practices of oppressive regimes like Iran and Afghanistan. Republican Representative Austin Scott of Georgia posted that while he supports the death sentence, livestreaming executions mirrors the tactics of jihadists. The head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, also urged the Pentagon to reconsider what he termed a barbaric promotion of a culture of death.
Legal Precedents and Rare Use of Firing Squads in Modern U.S. History
Capital punishment via firing squad remains rare in modern American history, with only six such executions carried out since 1977. Three of those took place last year in South Carolina, according to the Death Penalty Information Center. Five states currently permit firing squads as an alternative to lethal injection, which has faced significant legal challenges and supply shortages in recent years. Matthew Robinson, a criminal justice professor at Appalachian State University, noted in coverage that the last military execution occurred in 1961, and the last military firing squad execution took place in 1945. Meanwhile, Sheri Lynn Johnson, assistant director of the Death Penalty Project at Cornell Law School, told CNN that opening an execution to public viewing risks desensitizing the public to violence and celebrating death.
Logistics and Uncertainty Surround the Dec. 3 Execution
While Pentagon officials confirmed the date, time, and method, several logistical details remain unannounced. CNN reported that the Department of Defense has not yet clarified which soldiers will comprise the firing squad, how they will be selected, or which agency will manage the livestream feed. Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism during a Friday interview regarding whether the broadcast will actually happen, noting he would not watch it if it did. The execution stems from the 2009 mass shooting at the Texas military base, where Hasan killed 13 people and injured 32 others.
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