Trump Weighs Livestreaming Firing Squad Execution of Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump is weighing a final decision on whether to livestream the December 3 execution of Nidal Hasan, a former Army major convicted of killing 13 people during a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Hasan will be executed by firing squad, which would mark the first U.S. military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since 1945.

Trump initially expressed approval for the broadcast, suggesting that showing the execution might deter others from committing similar crimes. However, he has since expressed private reservations following a wave of bipartisan and international condemnation. Vice President JD Vance has cast doubt on the plan, stating he would not watch the broadcast if it occurs. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the proposal, arguing that the punishment must fit the crime and rejecting claims that the event would create a martyr.

Opposition has been widespread, with Republican and Democratic lawmakers warning that a public execution mimics the tactics of oppressive dictatorships and could provide a propaganda victory for terrorist organizations. Religious leaders, including Pope Leo XIV and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, have condemned the plan as a barbaric promotion of a culture of death. Pope Leo XIV declared capital punishment inadmissible on World Day Against the Death Penalty, arguing it attacks human dignity.