President Donald Trump and his advisers are actively debating whether to call off plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, following private realizations that the convicted killer is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair, according to CNN. The impending execution, scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, has sparked international condemnation and fierce domestic debate over public spectacles of capital punishment.
The Controversy Over a Public Spectacle
The decision to broadcast the execution publicly was initially announced by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who confirmed that the Pentagon planned to let the public watch the event. According to CNN, President Trump was unaware of the plan to make the execution public when it was announced, and he subsequently polled several advisers and allies to determine how to proceed.
That broadcast plan drew immediate, sharp rebukes from both domestic and international figures. Republican Senator Thom Tillis joined the criticism, describing the plan as something what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do,
and calling it beyond disgusting.
[Archbishop of US military condemns Pentagon plans to livestream execution]“Timothy Broglio says Catholics on army firing squad should ask to be excused since it clashes with church teachings“https://t.co/2V1HNElrS8””
Religious leaders have also mobilized against the broadcast and the execution itself. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the Archbishop for the United States Military Services, issued a statement obliging any Catholics assigned to the firing squad to request to be excused from this action contrary to the teaching of the Church,
as noted by Vatican News. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin similarly denounced the plan, stating, It is certainly unacceptable to turn death into a spectacle. However guilty the person may be, there are other ways.
Trump Considers Imagery and Propaganda Risks of Public Execution
During private discussions with his team, President Trump learned for the first time that Hasan uses a wheelchair as a result of being shot in the back by law enforcement during the November 2009 shooting spree, CNN reported. That physical reality made showing the execution publicly far less palatable to the president, with one source pointing to Trump’s keen awareness of imagery.
A public execution by firing squad is bad enough, but live streaming it would demean us as a nation. There is no doubt that the man in question committed a heinous crime, but this kind of spectacle goes against our values. I join many members of the military and the faith…
Advisers also warned the president that a public firing squad broadcast could easily be weaponized as propaganda by US adversaries, potentially allowing terrorist groups to paint Hasan as a martyr, according to CNN. Addressing reporters before departing for a campaign rally in Alaska, Trump acknowledged the competing pressures surrounding the final call:
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. So, I’ll make a decision ultimately. I know what the military would like to do, but we’ll make a decision.
President Donald Trump
Hasan was convicted of slaughtering 13 people and wounding 31, and injuring 32 others during the 2009 rampage at the Texas military base. Secretary Hegseth had originally recommended death by firing squad, a recommendation approved by Trump. If carried out, it will mark the US military’s first execution of a soldier by firing squad since World War II, and the first imposition of any death penalty on an armed service member in 65 years.
The Path Forward Before December 3
As the December 3 execution date approaches, the Pentagon is actively reevaluating its broadcast strategy. Sources told CNN that even if a video feed is permitted, officials are now considering cutting the footage before any shots are fired to mitigate propaganda risks.
Whether the administration will completely scrap the livestream or proceed with a heavily edited broadcast remains unresolved, with the final authority resting entirely with the president.
"One of the sources familiar with the discussions pointed to Trump's deep understanding of imagery as a key reason why he may decide to ditch plans for the livestream…" https://t.co/G40ErfxEn1
More on Nidal Hasan
"some might call it a soldier’s death for soldierly crimes. However, the defining feature of a firing squad in the armed forces is not its victim, but the executioners: soldiers drawn from ordinary rank-and-file. The logic of firing squads was to bind soldiers into the martial…”
President Trump and his advisers are debating whether to call off plans to livestream the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter, with Trump having remarked privately that he did not initially know that Nidal Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down, two sources told CNN.… pic.twitter.com/0JhOXJlSGV
President Trump and advisers debating whether to call off plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, with Trump having remarked privately that he did not initially know Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down, sources tell CNN and CBS News. pic.twitter.com/eJTSuPNAme
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