GOP Lawmakers Revolt Over Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution

A wave of Republican opposition is building against the Pentagon’s plan, approved by President Trump, to livestream the December execution of a former Army major who killed 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, Nidal Hasan. Several GOP lawmakers say the invitation to open the event to the public could backfire, so to speak. “The concern would be that you would create a video that would be a recruiting tool for future terrorists,” House Speaker Mike Johnson told CBS News. “I wouldn’t be watching it if it was aired.”Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska was blunter still. “I would expect this from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America,” she wrote on X, warning the livestream “would give this individual, who deserves no further notoriety, the martyrdom he seeks.”Other Republicans echoed that sentiment and brought their own arguments against touting the execution as a must-watch event. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota said in a statement that “the death penalty is not entertainment” and warned that publicizing the execution “converts the most consequential punishment a government can impose into a public spectacle.” Senator Thom Tillis called the plan “beyond disgusting,” while Representative Austin Scott of Georgia wrote on X, “Livestreaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that.”Representative Andy Ogles of Tennessee has voiced clear support. “Excellent. Public execution is what this terrorist deserves,” he wrote on X. “We will be watching.”President Trump, who initially embraced the idea, has since softened his public stance. “Absolutely, I approve,” he told reporters Friday evening. By Saturday, he struck a more measured tone: “There are two thoughts: Don’t show it and show it. … So I’ll make a decision, ultimately.”Privately, Mr. Trump has shared doubts about the plan, according to four people who spoke with the president, Axios reported. “He didn’t sound particularly enthusiastic” about the livestream, one confidant said. “That’s why he’s calling around, doing the Trump thing, asking people what they think.”Vice President JD Vance has also distanced himself from the plan. “I don’t know if that’s actually going to happen,” he told reporters, adding, “I’m not going to be watching it.”Despite the backlash, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the decision on “Face the Nation” Sunday, rejecting claims that the broadcast could inspire radicalization or elevate Hasan to martyr status. “I don’t see an elevated risk,” Mr. Mullin said. “I think people need to understand that if you attack America, we will come after you, and we will make sure that the punishment fits the crime,” he added.Among the conservative hesitation is concern over biblical teachings. Pastor Franklin Graham said he thinks there’s a double standard by many stating their opposition. “[S]ome network news shows were saying how disgusted they were and how terrible it is. I found it ironic that many who embrace Hollywood and its culture of death that is constantly depicting murders, rapes, and all kinds of violence — all in the name of entertainment — are saying they’re so appalled at this,” the reverend posted on Facebook, asking for public feedback.Pastor Rich Bitterman of Cedar Rich Baptist Church at Galena, Missouri, said execution is biblically permissible, but he won’t watch because it’s not good for his soul. “I understand why people want to see justice done,” he wrote. “Yet the person watching still witnesses death. It ought to be a solemn thing, even when the punishment is deserved.”Without mentioning Hasan or the United States specifically, the American-born Pope Leo XIV on Saturday posted his general opposition to the death penalty. ”The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person. The common good can be safeguarded and the requirements of justice can be met without recourse to capital punishment,” he said.Hasan was convicted of opening fire at Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others. If carried out, his execution would be the first U.S. military execution since 1961 and the first by firing squad since World War II. A final decision on the livestream has not yet been made.

GOP Lawmakers Revolt Over Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution

GOP Lawmakers Revolt Over Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution

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