Washington: US Vice-President JD Vance has questioned whether the Pentagon will livestream the planned execution of Nidal Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009. Vance stated that he would not watch the broadcast if it goes ahead.
Vance expressed uncertainty over whether the livestream would proceed as planned, saying, “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen.” The Pentagon has scheduled Hasan’s execution by firing squad for December 3 at Fort Hood, where the attack took place.
The proposed livestream, announced by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, has prompted criticism from lawmakers, religious leaders and other observers over the prospect of publicly broadcasting a military execution.
Hasan was convicted in a military court for the November 2009 shooting at the Texas military base, in which 13 people were killed and 32 others were injured. The attack took place at a medical facility where Hasan, then an Army psychiatrist, opened fire on fellow service members.
President Donald Trump has supported Hasan’s execution by firing squad, stating that the convicted attacker deserves the death penalty. However, Trump had not publicly confirmed whether he supported livestreaming the execution as of October 9.
The plan has faced opposition from members of both major US political parties. Republican Senator Thom Tillis criticized the proposal, while Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, called for the decision to be reconsidered. Critics have raised concerns about the dignity of the condemned person, the public display of capital punishment and the possibility that footage could be exploited for propaganda.
JD Vance emphasized that the controversy surrounding the execution method should not overshadow the severity of Hasan’s crimes. The vice-president, who has previously identified as Catholic, has expressed reservations about the livestream while maintaining that the victims of the Fort Hood attack should not be forgotten.
The proposed execution would be the first US military firing squad execution since 1945. The last execution carried out by the US military took place in 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was executed by hanging.
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