“People Will Be Able to Watch It”
The plan was announced by U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. In an interview on the program “Human Events Daily” on Real America's Voice television, he said: “We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public.” He reasoned that people must understand that there are severe consequences for such actions.
On Thursday, October 8, a Pentagon official confirmed to Reuters: “It will be livestreamed. Details will follow.” As of Saturday, October 10, the Pentagon had not specified where or to whom the broadcast would be accessible.
The date was set in an October 6 memo by Acting Secretary of the Army Adam Telle: the execution is scheduled to take place on the afternoon of December 3 at Fort Hood. According to Hegseth, the time of day and day of the week were chosen to match the circumstances of the 2009 attack. Hasan is to be executed by firing squad. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell conveyed that execution by an Army firing squad was recommended by Hegseth and approved by President Donald Trump. The White House referred questions about the broadcast plans to the Pentagon.
Who Is Nidal Hasan
Nidal Malik Hasan was a major and psychiatrist in the U.S. Army. On November 5, 2009, he opened fire at a soldier deployment readiness processing center at Fort Hood, where service members were receiving vaccinations and medical screenings prior to deploying overseas. He killed 13 people and wounded more than 30.
In 2013, a military court sentenced him to death. Hasan represented himself and admitted in court that he was the shooter. Since then, he has been awaiting the execution of his sentence.
The Military's First Execution in 65 Years
The last execution carried out by the U.S. military occurred on April 13, 1961. Private John Bennett was hanged at the time for the rape and attempted murder of an 11-year-old girl. The U.S. Army has not conducted an execution by firing squad since 1945, when Private Eddie Slovik was put to death for desertion.
A live broadcast would also be an anomaly compared to civilian executions. In the U.S., executions are usually witnessed only by victims' relatives and a few selected journalists. The last public execution in the U.S. is considered to be the hanging of Rainey Bethea in Kentucky in 1936. According to contemporary reports, approximately 20,000 people attended at the time.
Justice or a Spectacle?
The plan sparked a wave of criticism, including within the president's own party. Republican Senator Thom Tillis wrote: “Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting.” Republican Congressman Austin Scott stated that “live-streaming executions is what jihadists do.” Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, asked about the plan on CNN, responded bluntly: “That's disgusting.”
Legal experts are also critical. Geoffrey Corn, a law professor and former military attorney, stated that the plan “raises significant moral questions.” He referred to the broadcast as a “public spectacle.”
Hegseth responds that it is about sending a clear message: such crimes carry grave consequences. The sentence was handed down in 2013 and has still not been carried out.
The Date Remains Uncertain
It remains unclear whether the execution will take place on December 3. Military law experts point out that Hasan could file a petition for a writ of habeas corpus in civilian federal court, which could significantly delay the execution of the sentence. Eugene R. Fidell of Yale Law School noted that the legal proceedings could outlast the current administration.
Hegseth leaves no doubt that he intends to stick to the timeline. When asked about the condemned inmate's final wishes, he responded: “Don't care. We'll see him on December 3rd.”
What do you think: is broadcasting the execution an act of justice, or just a spectacle?
Sources:
- AP / PBS NewsHour, “Pentagon says firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed”, 8.10.2026
- CBS News, “Fort Hood shooter's execution will be livestreamed, Pentagon says”, 8.10.2026
- The Washington Post, “Fort Hood shooter's execution will be live-streamed, Defense Dept. says”, 8.10.2026
- Reuters (Pentagon official quoted via The National), 9.10.2026
- ABC7 / AP, 8.10.2026
- CBS News, “Pentagon's plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter's execution sparks intense backlash”, updated 10.10.2026
- Al Jazeera, “'Barbaric': US lawmakers condemn plan to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution” and “US to livestream Fort Hood shooter's execution: Is that legal?”, 9.10.2026
- The Hill / AP, “Firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will be livestreamed: What to know”, 9.10.2026
- Task & Purpose, “Army sets execution date for Nidal Hasan by firing squad at Fort Hood”, 6.10.2026
- ABC11 / AP, “Army sets date for Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan to face firing squad”, 6.10.2026
Main illustration: AI-generated image.
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