US Lawmakers Criticize Plan to Livestream Nidal Hasan's Execution

Lawmakers from both the Republican and Democratic parties have condemned the Pentagon's plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter who killed 13 people at a military base in Texas. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced the plan during an interview with a conservative news outlet on Thursday. Republican Senator Thom Tillis expressed his disapproval on social media, stating, "Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting. Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America." Congressman Austin Scott, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, also opposed the decision, saying, "I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that." Another Republican Congressman, Rob Bresnahan, emphasized that the focus should be on justice for the victims and their families, stating, "Their pain deserves respect, not a public show." Al Jazeera has not received responses from Republican Senators Susan Collins, Mitch McConnell, and Lisa Murkowski, who opposed Hegseth's confirmation. Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, was sentenced to death in August 2013 after being found guilty of 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder for the Fort Hood shooting. On Monday, President Donald Trump authorized the use of a firing squad for Hasan's execution, which Hegseth announced would take place on December 3 at 1 PM local time, coinciding with the time of the 2009 shooting. Trump confirmed his approval of the execution but did not specify his stance on livestreaming it. Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on the Trump administration to reconsider the decision, labeling it a "gift to anti-American terrorist recruiters" and describing the livestreaming as a "barbaric spectacle." Reed criticized Hegseth's actions as a distraction from his failures in office. Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut expressed his shock during a CNN interview, stating, "That’s disgusting. Is he mimicking ISIS executions? Public executions are medieval." Conversely, Congressman Andy Ogles of Tennessee supported the decision, stating that "public execution is what this terrorist deserves." US Vice President JD Vance, during a visit to Ohio, mentioned he would not watch the livestream and expressed skepticism about whether it would actually occur. US Army policy restricts who may witness military executions, allowing only certain individuals, including victims' family members and media representatives. For Hasan's execution to be public, Reed noted that Trump would need to approve a waiver. The White House referred inquiries about this to the Pentagon. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr stated he would defer to the Pentagon regarding the airing of the execution. An official from the Defense Department indicated they had no additional information. The United Nations condemned the livestreaming plan, asserting it would violate international law, with a spokesperson stating that broadcasting the execution would be "tantamount to a public execution and would breach the absolute prohibition of torture."