House Speaker Mike Johnson stated the obvious, warning the Trump administration that livestreaming the execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan could have some seriously ugly consequences.
Johnson raised concerns about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal to broadcast Hasan’s execution by firing squad, currently scheduled for December 3. Donald J. Trump has said he intends to personally decide whether the execution will be televised.
During an interview with CBS News correspondent Robert Costa, Johnson warned that broadcasting the execution could create a recruiting instrument for future terrorists. Apparently, even some Republicans recognize that turning a government execution into a public spectacle might not be the brilliant idea the unqualified Secretary of Defense seems to think it is.
Johnson acknowledged that he had not yet discussed the proposal with Trump, Hegseth, or Vice President JD Vance, but said he wanted the White House to hear lawmakers’ concerns about the idea. He also made clear that he wouldn’t be watching the broadcast himself.
Vance has similarly said he would not watch it, while opposition to the proposal has grown on both sides of the aisle. Hegseth, however, has insisted that the execution will be made public, with the Pentagon confirming plans for a livestream.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was sentenced to death in 2013 for killing 13 people and wounding 32 others during his 2009 attack at Fort Hood, Texas. If carried out, his execution would be the first by the U.S. military since 1961.
There’s something hugely disturbing concerning the prospect of turning an execution into televised bloodlust entertainment. And when the argument against doing so includes the possibility of providing propaganda for future terrorists, perhaps the Pentagon should reconsider whether this is a spectacle anyone needs to see. Maybe appointing a former Fox News personality as Defense Secretary wasn’t a good idea after all. Who knew!
