Opposition is growing among Republican lawmakers and religious leaders against the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of former U.S. Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, scheduled for December 3. President Donald Trump has not yet made a decision on whether to allow the live broadcast of the execution, which would be the first of its kind.
Vice President JD Vance expressed doubt that the Pentagon would proceed with the livestreaming. “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” Vance said while speaking to reporters in Cincinnati. “If it is shown publicly, I’m not going to be watching it.”
Trump characterized Hasan as deserving of the death penalty, referring to him as “totally nuts,” but remained non-committal regarding the livestream during a press conference.
A senior leader from the U.S. Catholic Church and an evangelical Christian figure also voiced their opposition. Several Republican legislators have come forward to criticize the livestreaming. Senator John Curtis stated on social media that society deteriorates when it normalizes executions as entertainment. Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Austin Scott likened the plan to practices of Islamist extremists, while Representative Rob Bresnahan emphasized the need for respect towards victims and their families. “This should be reconsidered,” said Representative Michael Baumgartner, echoing similar sentiments.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the plans for the execution livestream on Thursday. According to death penalty experts, no government execution has ever been broadcast or livestreamed in the United States, and the military has not performed a firing squad execution since 1945. Hasan, confined to a wheelchair after being shot during his arrest, was convicted for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that killed 13 people.
A senior White House official, who spoke anonymously, mentioned that while Trump does not oppose the idea, he is listening to the concerns from lawmakers and religious leaders urging against the live broadcast.
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned the proposed livestream as a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death.” Walter Kim, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, warned that airing the execution could turn it into a public spectacle, undermining the dignity of the act.
The UN Human Rights Office stated that public executions would violate prohibitions against torture, with spokesperson Shabia Mantoo describing them as forms of cruel and degrading treatment. Mental health experts have expressed concerns that such broadcasts could traumatize children.
The Army has not announced whether families of the victims of Hasan’s attack will be invited to attend the execution, which is customary for civilian executions. Details regarding the selection of firing squad members and execution protocols remain unclear, but the Pentagon has stated it will provide further information soon.
This plan has surfaced amid ongoing national discussions about the death penalty, especially following a controversial lethal injection in Tennessee last week. As midterm elections approach, the debate over capital punishment is intensifying within the Republican Party.
