WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump stated he has not yet determined whether the planned military execution of convicted Fort Hood gunman Nidal Malik Hasan will be broadcast to the public, as lawmakers and religious leaders sharply criticize the Pentagon proposal.
The Department of Defense announced earlier this week that Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in a November 2009 mass shooting, is scheduled to die by firing squad on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. Trump confirmed that while he authorized the firing squad method after a recommendation from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he has not made a final call regarding a public broadcast, Fox News reported.
“I know what the military would like to do, but we’ll make a decision,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Saturday, according to Fox News. Trump added that some believe airing the execution could deter others from committing similar acts, while others strongly oppose showing it.
Bipartisan and Religious Pushback
The proposal to livestream the proceedings online drew swift condemnation across the political spectrum and from religious authorities.
Sen. John Curtis, a Utah Republican, warned against turning capital punishment into public entertainment, writing on social media that cultivating an appetite for executions erodes civilization, the New York Post reported. Rep. Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, wrote on X that while he supports the death penalty, livestreaming executions is behavior typical of extremists, ABC News reported. Rep. Adam Smith, the committee’s top Democrat, warned that an online broadcast “makes a mockery of our legal system,” according to ABC News.
Catholic leaders also denounced the initiative. In Rome, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said it was “unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle,” Fortune reported. Archbishop Paul Coakley, leader of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, characterized the plan as a harmful move that damages the moral fabric of the nation, according to Fortune. Pope Leo subsequently posted on social media that capital punishment is inadmissible and that justice can be achieved without resorting to execution.
Survivors Voice Mixed Reactions
For those who survived the 2009 attack, the prospect of Hasan’s execution brings conflicting emotions. Retired Army Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times during the massacre, told ABC News he plans to attend in person to look Hasan in the eyes.
Lunsford supported using a firing squad, saying it mirrored the weapon Hasan used against his victims. However, he objected to making the execution a public broadcast, telling ABC News that any video feed should be limited to survivors and families rather than presented like an entertainment spectacle.
Former Army Spc. Dayna Ferguson, who survived after being shot three times, told ABC News that while she did not anticipate a livestream, documenting war and death has historical precedent, though she remains focused primarily on her own survival and moving forward.
What Happens Next
Vice President JD Vance voiced doubt about the proposal on Friday, telling reporters he was unsure whether the broadcast would take place and adding that he would not watch it if it aired, Fox News reported.
If Hasan’s sentence is carried out, it will mark the U.S. military’s first execution since 1961 and its first by firing squad since 1945. Whether Trump will formally cancel the livestream or allow the Pentagon to proceed with its broadcast plan ahead of the Dec. 3 date remains unresolved.
