US Vice President JD Vance has ruled out watching a potential livestream of the planned execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, as President Donald Trump remains silent on the controversial proposal.
Vance made the statement on Friday while speaking with reporters during a campaign visit to Ohio, expressing doubt over whether the execution would actually be broadcast live.
“I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” he said. “If it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it.”
Trump addressed Hasan’s planned execution during a White House event on Friday, stating that the former military psychiatrist would be executed by firing squad. However, the president has yet to publicly respond to the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution.
The proposal was announced on Thursday by US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and has attracted criticism from several quarters, including Republican lawmakers and conservative political strategists.
Republican Senator Condemns Livestream Proposal
Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina has strongly criticised the plan, describing the idea of broadcasting the execution as “beyond disgusting” in a social media post.
“Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do,” Tillis said. “It should not be happening in America.”
Tillis, a frequent critic of Trump who is not seeking re-election, is among the Republican figures who have expressed opposition to the proposed broadcast.
The controversy has raised questions about the decision to livestream a military execution, with critics arguing that such a move would be inappropriate for the United States.
Hasan to Be Executed on December 3
Hasan’s execution is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, the same sprawling military installation in Texas where he carried out the 2009 attack.
The former Army psychiatrist opened fire with a handgun inside a medical facility at the base, killing 13 people.
If the execution proceeds as scheduled, Hasan will become the first person executed by a US military firing squad since 1945.
Although Trump has confirmed that Hasan will face a firing squad, the president has not publicly addressed Hegseth’s livestream announcement, leaving uncertainty over the proposed broadcast.
