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Vance doubts planned livestream of Hasan's execution, says he would not watch
Vice President JD Vance questioned Friday whether the Pentagon would livestream Nidal Malik Hasan's execution in December and said he would not watch if it did.
Vice President JD Vance cast doubt Friday on whether the Pentagon would livestream the December execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. Speaking to reporters in Hebron, Kentucky, he said he would not watch the execution if it were broadcast.
Asked about plans the Pentagon had confirmed Thursday, the Republican vice president said he did not know whether the broadcast would actually happen. He also urged people not to forget Hasan's crimes amid the controversy over the execution plans.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the military base in 2009.
Earlier Friday morning, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the government's decision to livestream Hasan's execution.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley called for the decision to be reconsidered. In a statement, he said Hasan's actions could not be condoned but condemned the proposed public livestream as promoting a culture of death.
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Society ·
Defense Department official says Nidal Hasan's execution will be livestreamed
A Defense Department official said the execution of Nidal Hasan would be livestreamed. Hasan shot dead 13 unarmed U.S. soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009; the official's statement concerns public viewing of his execution.
The execution is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood in Texas. If carried out as scheduled, it would be the first military execution by firing squad since the end of World War II.
Military law requires approval from the U.S. president for a military execution. It also requires appellate review, in which a higher court examines the decision, and a final judgment on its legality before the execution can proceed.
John Mills, a lawyer who works with people sentenced to death, described the decision to livestream the execution as unprecedented in the modern era and said it rests on uncertain legal ground.
Mills said Hasan's appellate process is unfinished and that he is likely to seek federal court review of his conviction and sentence. Mills said that review would likely put the execution on hold.
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy condemned the proposed livestream, calling it disgusting and comparing it with executions carried out by the Islamic State group.
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Politics ·
Trump says he was not involved in decision to livestream execution
President Trump said in a Friday-night interview with WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York, that he had not been involved in the decision to livestream the execution. He said he understood the decision.
The Pentagon plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. The proposal has drawn criticism, including warnings that it could inspire further terrorism.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Thursday that the Dec. 3 execution would be livestreamed. He said public viewing would demonstrate serious consequences. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth recommended the use of an Army firing squad and President Trump approved that plan.
Alonzo Lunsford, a former U.S. Army sergeant who survived being shot seven times at Fort Hood, said he supports execution by firing squad. He said it should not be viewed as entertainment.
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