Trump administration officials are leaning against livestreaming the planned execution of former Army major Nidal Hasan, though President Donald Trump has not made a final decision.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. His execution by firing squad is scheduled for December 3, and the Pentagon said last week that the public would be able to watch it live.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be made public, arguing that people needed to understand there were “serious consequences” for such acts.
“He’s going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be,” Mr Hegseth said in an interview last Thursday. “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public — because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”
However, several senior Republicans have voiced opposition to broadcasting the execution. Vice-President JD Vance said that if it were shown live, “I’m not going to be watching it.”
House Speaker Mike Johnson said some Republican lawmakers were concerned that a recording could become “a recruiting tool for future terrorists”. He also said he would not watch the execution and planned to tell the White House that not all members of his party supported the proposal.
Asked on Tuesday whether he had decided to permit a livestream as he left for a campaign rally in Alaska, Mr Trump replied: “We’re looking at it.” White House and Pentagon spokespeople did not immediately comment.
