Pentagon's plan to livestream the Fort Hood shooter's execution draws backlash; Vance doubts it will happen
Summary
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major who killed 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, would be visible to the public, and the Pentagon says it will be livestreamed; President Trump ordered that it be carried out by firing squad, NBC News reported, and Hegseth said it would take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3, according to the LA Times. The plan drew bipartisan and international outrage, according to the LA Times, with GOP Sen. Thom Tillis saying 'public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do', CBS News reported, and YouTube, Meta, Twitch and X did not say whether they would allow the livestream on their platforms, The Verge reported. On Friday 9 October, Vice President JD Vance cast doubt on whether the Pentagon will livestream the execution, contradicting Hegseth according to NBC News, and said that if it is livestreamed, 'I'm not going to be watching it', PBS NewsHour reported. Experts believe any effort to challenge the livestream might rest solely with Hasan: broadcasting the event isn't mentioned in the Army rules governing military executions, but that doesn't mean anyone else has a viable legal path to oppose it, The Philadelphia Inquirer and PBS NewsHour reported.
Latest: Vice President JD Vance said he would not watch the Pentagon's planned livestream of the Fort Hood shooter's execution in December and doubted it would happen, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
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How it unfolded
Friday 9 October
The plan to livestream the execution drew bipartisan and international outrage, Vice President JD Vance suggested it would not be livestreamed, contradicting Hegseth, and experts said any legal challenge might rest solely with Hasan.
- 21:04The Philadelphia InquirerThe Latest: Vance says he won’t watch the Pentagon’s planned execution livestream
- 18:55The Philadelphia InquirerVance expresses doubts about Pentagon plan to livestream Fort Hood shooter's execution
- 17:55PBS NewsHourLegal path seems narrow to challenge livestream of Fort Hood shooter's execution, experts say
- 17:21Fortune‘I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen’: Vance doubts plan to livestream of execution of Fort Hood shooter after Pentagon’s announcement
- 17:13The Philadelphia InquirerLegal path seems narrow to challenge livestream of Fort Hood shooter's execution, experts say
- 16:51PBS NewsHourWATCH: Vance says he's 'not going to be watching' livestream of Fort Hood shooter's execution
- 15:23NBC NewsVance suggests Fort Hood shooter’s execution won’t be livestreamed, contradicting Hegseth
- 14:47LA TimesU.S. plan to livestream execution by firing squad draws bipartisan, international outrage
- 14:26CBS NewsVance says he wouldn't watch livestream of Fort Hood shooter's execution
- 11:53CBS NewsPentagon's plan to livestream execution sparks backlash
- 11:32The VergeYouTube, Meta, and Twitch won’t say if they’ll allow the US government to livestream an execution
Thursday 8 October
Pete Hegseth said the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan would be public and would take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3, and the Pentagon said it would be livestreamed.
- 19:31The Philadelphia InquirerThe Latest: Pentagon says firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed
- 18:56NBC NewsExecution of Fort Hood shooter to be livestreamed
- 18:32The VergeUS plans livestream of execution by firing squad
- 18:19PBS NewsHourPentagon says firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter will be livestreamed
- 17:51NBC NewsPete Hegseth says the public can watch firing squad’s execution of the Fort Hood shooter
- 17:36BloombergHegseth Vows Public Firing-Squad Execution for Fort Hood Shooter
- 17:33LA TimesPentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed
- 17:31The Philadelphia InquirerPentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed
Wednesday 7 October
Announcements setting an execution by firing squad for the former Army officer convicted of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting raised concerns about whether the military followed its own rules.
- 18:23ABC NewsAs Army moves to execute Fort Hood shooter, questions about procedure linger
- 17:45The Philadelphia InquirerAs Army moves to execute Fort Hood shooter, questions about procedure linger