Pentagon Plans First US Livestreamed Execution on December 3

The Pentagon announced Thursday that it will livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan on December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted in 2013 of killing 13 people and wounding 32 in a 2009 shooting at the military base. The plan marks the first public execution in the US in nearly 90 years and the first ever to be broadcast live, drawing swift condemnation from religious leaders, lawmakers, and international human rights groups.

What Hasan did and why he faces execution

Nidal Hasan, then 33, opened fire at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, killing 13 unarmed soldiers and wounding 32 others in a medical processing center. A military jury convicted him in July 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of murder. The court imposed the death penalty. Hasan was initially scheduled for lethal injection, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended firing squad instead, which President Trump approved.

Why the Pentagon is livestreaming the execution

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a Thursday interview that the execution will be public because people need to understand there are serious consequences for mass violence. Hegseth called firing squad a “no brainer” and described it as “as it should be.” The Pentagon confirmed Friday that the execution “will be livestreamed,” though details on which platforms remain unclear.

The backlash: religious leaders, lawmakers, and the UN condemn the plan

The head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops called the livestream “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death.” Retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis wrote that public executions are “what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do.” Vice President JD Vance said Friday he is unsure if the livestream will happen and stated he would not watch it. The UN human rights office warned that livestreaming would “breach the absolute prohibition of torture.” Hillary Clinton posted that the plan is “barbaric” and “beneath our dignity as a country.”

Legal challenges may be possible but face steep odds

Only Hasan himself appears to have legal standing to challenge the livestream, according to law experts. Brenner Fissell, a military justice professor at Villanova University, noted that Army regulations prohibit anyone under 18 from witnessing a military execution. He raised the possibility that parents could argue a livestream violates this rule, though the regulation was not written to address online broadcasts. Hasan could also file a habeas corpus appeal in federal court, which could delay the execution by years.

Final Thoughts

The December 3 execution marks a sharp reversal of nearly a century of US practice. While Hasan’s crimes warrant justice, the livestream decision has exposed deep disagreement over whether public spectacle serves that goal or undermines it.

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