Trump weighs live-streaming Nidal Hasan execution after learning he is paralyzed
- US President Donald Trump and aides are discussing whether to live-stream the execution of death row inmate Nidal Hasan, and the president has consulted advisers as he weighs...
- Sources familiar with the internal discussions told Yahoo!ニュース that President Trump was unaware Hegseth would make that announcement and was initially uncertain how to respond, even though he...
- As the debate continued among presidential advisors, President Trump learned that Hasan uses a wheelchair because police shot him in the back during the 2009 attack at Fort...
US President Donald Trump and aides are discussing whether to live-stream the execution of death row inmate Nidal Hasan, and the president has consulted advisers as he weighs how to handle the situation after learning the prisoner is paralyzed from the waist down, according to reports. Hasan was sentenced to death for a 2009 mass shooting at an Army base in Texas that left 13 people dead.
Sources familiar with the internal discussions told Yahoo!ニュース that President Trump was unaware Hegseth would make that announcement and was initially uncertain how to respond, even though he supported the execution itself and had expressed that stance publicly.
Trump Consults Advisors Over Live Stream
As the debate continued among presidential advisors, President Trump learned that Hasan uses a wheelchair because police shot him in the back during the 2009 attack at Fort Hood. That physical condition diminished the president’s enthusiasm for making the execution public, according to sources cited by Yahoo!ニュース.
One source noted that President Trump understands public relations deeply and has listened to warnings that broadcasting the execution could give hostile nations or terrorist organizations propaganda material to portray Hasan as a martyr. On December 10, President Trump told reporters, There are two ways of looking at it, whether you do it publicly or you don’t do it publicly. If you do it publicly, maybe other people wouldn’t want to do things like that. Ultimately, I’ll make the decision. I know what the military wants to do, but I’ll make that decision.
If the execution proceeds as originally discussed, it would mark the first time an execution has been publicly broadcast in the United States in decades.
Public Backlash and Historical Parallels
The prospect of a public execution has sparked widespread debate across the United States. Tele朝日NEWS reported that reactions from citizens include descriptions of the plan as unpleasant and potentially traumatizing for children who might view the live stream. In contrast, supporters of public deterrence argue that harsh consequences should be visible to the public.
Historical records show that the last large-scale public execution in the United States took place on August 14, 1936, when a 26-year-old Black man was hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky, before an estimated crowd of 20,000 people, as detailed by ｄメニューニュース. That event drew significant controversy because vendors sold hot dogs near the gallows, turning a solemn judicial penalty into a spectacle that ultimately led Kentucky to ban public hangings in 1938.
Decisions Awaiting the White House
The final authority over whether the live stream will proceed rests solely with President Trump, who stated that he has not yet finalized his decision. While military officials have indicated their preferences, the administration weighs the psychological impact on the public against the risk of the footage being weaponized by international adversaries.