The Trump administration has announced plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan by firing squad, marking what would be the first publicly broadcast execution in the United States in nearly a century. The execution is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, the military base where Hasan carried out a mass shooting in 2009 that killed 13 soldiers and wounded 32 others.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire at a deployment processing center on November 5, 2009, expressing opposition to the U.S. presence in Afghanistan and shouting “Allahu akbar” during the attack. Convicted in 2013 on 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder, Hasan was paralyzed after being shot during the incident. His execution would be the first military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since 1945.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said the livestream is intended to demonstrate the consequences of such crimes, stating that the execution will be a public event accessible on digital platforms. President Donald Trump confirmed that he approved the plan. However, the proposal has encountered resistance within the administration and beyond. Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism about whether the execution would be broadcast live, adding that he would not watch it if it were.
The prospect of a televised public execution has drawn widespread condemnation from both political figures and military officials. Several Republican lawmakers, including Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina, argued that livestreaming the execution would be a medieval and un-American spectacle, likening such practices to those of authoritarian regimes like Iran and Afghanistan. Retired Admiral James G. Stavridis, former NATO supreme commander, also criticized the idea, asserting that public executions are inconsistent with American military values.
Experts in counterterrorism have raised concerns that broadcasting Hasan’s execution could serve as propaganda for jihadist groups, potentially fueling extremist narratives. Colin P. Clarke, a terrorism analyst, described the plan as shortsighted, suggesting the footage would be exploited by organizations such as Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. The SITE Intelligence Group reported online extremist messages already referencing the upcoming execution in a manner that could promote radicalization.
The Pentagon has not detailed how the livestream will align with existing military protocols governing executions. Army regulations currently restrict witnesses to select individuals including the base commander, a chaplain, limited media representatives, family members of the condemned and victims, and prohibit viewers under 18 years of age.
Public executions in the United States largely ceased nearly 100 years ago, transitioning from large, often unruly crowds to more private, secured settings within prisons. Historically, public hangings were common but were abandoned in favor of more controlled procedures as the death penalty evolved. The last known public execution in the country occurred in 1936, drawing tens of thousands of spectators in Owensboro, Kentucky.
The decision to publicly broadcast Hasan’s execution revives a deeply controversial practice that many lawmakers, military officials, and experts regard as incompatible with contemporary standards of justice and national values. The event arrives amid ongoing debates about the use of the death penalty in the United States, contrasting with recent moves by some states and the previous federal administration toward reprieves and halting executions.