WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is facing mounting bipartisan and international pushback over a proposal by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to publicly livestream the upcoming military execution of the 2009 Fort Hood shooter, prompting President Donald Trump to weigh whether to block the broadcast.
Hegseth announced last week that the military planned to broadcast the Dec. 3 execution of former Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan. Hasan was convicted and sentenced to death in August 2013 for killing 13 people — 12 active-duty soldiers and one retired serviceman — and wounding 32 others at a Fort Hood processing center in Texas. Police shot Hasan during the rampage, leaving him paralyzed below the waist.
If carried out, Hasan would become the first person executed under the U.S. military justice system since 1961, according to CBS News and Al Jazeera. Fox News reported it would be the military’s first execution by firing squad since 1945.
Administration divided over broadcast
Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Saturday, Trump acknowledged internal debate and indicated the livestream was not yet finalized. “There are two thoughts: Don’t show it and show it. Because, you know, by showing it, maybe other people won’t be doing what he did,” Trump said, adding, “So I’ll make a decision, ultimately.”
Vice President JD Vance also showed hesitation regarding the idea. In comments on Friday, Vance noted that while Hasan committed an appalling act of violence, he would refuse to tune in if the Pentagon airs the death. “Now that said, I mean, look, if it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it,” Vance said, as reported by CBS News.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stepped forward Sunday to defend Hegseth’s concept, telling CBS News program “Face the Nation” that he saw “no elevated risk” that the imagery would threaten national security. Responding to worries about extremist propaganda, Mullin argued that viewing would remain optional. “I think people need to understand, if you attack America, we will come after you, and we will make sure that the punishment fits the crime,” Mullin said.
Lawmakers and religious leaders condemn proposal
The broadcast proposal triggered sharp objections from fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday that broadcasting the event would create a recruiting tool for extremist groups and “put at risk” American lives. Tillis labeled Hegseth a “failed leader” and expressed regret over voting to confirm him in January 2025.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, similarly condemned the broadcast on social media, warning that broadcasting the shooting would deliver the condemned man the attention he sought. “I would expect this from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America,” Murkowski posted on X. Rep. Tom Barrett, R-Mich., an Army veteran who trained at Fort Hood prior to the 2009 attack, also urged Hegseth to reconsider, writing on X that creating a public spectacle “does not serve a public interest.”
Opposition also emerged from religious figures. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, condemned capital punishment on Saturday during World Day Against the Death Penalty, calling the practice “inadmissible” under Catholic teaching. Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin criticized the Pentagon’s concept directly, calling it “unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle.” In the United States, Archbishop Paul Coakley, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, described the plan as “barbaric” and urged government leaders to abandon it.
Under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, any military death sentence requires formal approval from the commander in chief. Trump has not stated when he will issue his final determination on whether cameras will be permitted at the execution site.
