Vice President JD Vance mentioned on Friday that he does not intend to watch the proposed live stream of Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution, the man responsible for the Fort Hood shooting, and expressed skepticism about whether the broadcast would actually take place.
His remarks came during a press interaction, captured by C-SPAN, shortly after the Pentagon revealed plans for Hasan’s execution by firing squad on December 3 to be streamed for public viewing.
Vance, who identifies as Catholic and has expressed support for capital punishment in the past, was questioned about how he reconciles his beliefs with the decision to broadcast the execution. He remarked on the brutality of Hasan’s actions, noting he “brutally murdered” innocent lives.
“If it’s ultimately live-streamed, I’m not going to be watching it,” Vance stated.
He also raised doubts regarding the feasibility of the stream. “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” he commented, adding that it’s best to wait and see.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth assured Real America’s Voice that the execution would indeed be available for public viewing, suggesting it serves as a cautionary reminder. “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it. That it’s public,” he asserted, emphasizing the seriousness of the consequences for such actions. The execution is slated for 1:00 p.m., coinciding with the time Hasan opened fire in 2009 while declaring “Allahu Akbar.”
Brendan Carr, the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, indicated that the matter is beyond the FCC’s jurisdiction. When asked during an appearance on CNBC if the FCC would authorize a broadcast, Carr stated, “Ultimately, we’re going to defer to Secretary Hegseth and his decisions on how to move forward with this.”
Meta has enforced a prohibition against live-streaming capital punishment on its platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, since 2019, while a spokesperson for TikTok cited a policy against showing moments of death. Responses from Meta, YouTube, and X regarding their approach to the execution footage were not provided.
The plan faced condemnation from the United Nations and Amnesty International. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops referred to it as “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death,” while Hillary Clinton characterized the concept as “barbaric.”
Former President Donald Trump endorsed the execution this week, defending it during a Columbus Day event. “We’re giving a man the death penalty … through firing squad, and he deserves it,” he remarked.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was found guilty in 2013 of killing 13 individuals at the Soldier Readiness Processing Center. His execution would mark the first by the United States military since 1961, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
