Pentagon Faces Fire for Plan to Live-Stream Execution of Fort Hood Shooter

The Pentagon has ignited a fierce national debate after confirming plans to live-stream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of murdering 13 people during the 2009 Fort Hood attacks. The announcement, made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday, stated that the Dec. 3 execution will be broadcast to the public.

Hegseth defended the decision to Real America’s Voice, stating that the public needed to witness “serious consequences” for such crimes. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell clarified that Hegseth recommended the approach and that President Trump approved the use of an Army firing squad.

However, the move drew immediate condemnation from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Republican Senator Thom Tillis, who is retiring, called the plan “beyond disgusting” and expressed regret over his vote to confirm Hegseth. In a post on X, Tillis argued that public executions are tactics associated with oppressive regimes like Iran and Afghanistan, asserting, “It should not be happening in America.”

Republican Representative Austin Scott of Georgia echoed these sentiments, writing on X, “I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that.” Meanwhile, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy described publicly executing someone as “medieval,” telling CNN, “What, is he mimicking ISIS executions? … That is just absolutely extraordinary, galling. No matter whether you support or oppose the death penalty, public hangings and executions? That’s what America has become?”

Ned Price, the State Department spokesman under the Biden administration, warned that the move would likely generate more terrorism. “The surest way to spawn more radicalized zealots is to glorify violence, embrace a cult of death, and create a martyr for the cause,” Price wrote on X, comparing Hegseth’s proposal to the tactics of al Qaeda and ISIS.

Alonzo Lunsford, a former Army sergeant who survived being shot seven times during the Fort Hood massacre, supported the death penalty for Hasan but opposed the live broadcast. Telling BBC Radio, “To show the whole thing without it being censored for the general public, for me personally, I don’t agree with that,” Lunsford emphasized that the execution should not be treated as entertainment. Despite his reservations, Lunsford said he plans to attend in person, stating, “I want him to look at me in my eyes and I look at him in his eyes and I want him to know: ‘Dude, you failed, I’m still here.'”

Religious and legal experts also pushed back. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement Friday urging the Pentagon to reconsider, calling the decision a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death.” Citing Romans 12:17, he added, “The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation.”

Erick Erickson, a conservative talk show host who supports capital punishment, argued that the live stream would provide Hasan with the “platform for martyrdom he wants.” He warned that the imagery of a paraplegic man in a wheelchair being executed could undermine death penalty support and inspire terrorists in the Middle East.

Geoffrey Corn, a law professor at Texas Tech University and former Army JAG officer, told CBS News that the plan “raises significant moral questions” and noted that traditional execution protocols limit observers to victims’ families and select media. “Turning the execution of such a penalty into some type of public spectacle echoes of the past we seem to have put behind us,” Corn said.

The last public execution in the United States occurred in 1936, when Rainey Bethea was hanged for rape in Kentucky before a crowd of approximately 20,000 people.

Hegseth’s announcement comes amid ongoing impeachment efforts against him by Democrats and Republican Representative Thomas Massie. A scheduled vote on the impeachment articles was delayed after House Speaker Mike Johnson canceled votes a day early ahead of the midterm elections.