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Pentagon Plans to Livestream Military Execution Draws Global Backlash

8:10 PM ETConfirmed

Politics Desk

In Short: The Pentagon's announcement to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the first military execution since 1961, has sparked intense criticism both domestically and internationally.

Conservative commentator Pete Hegseth, Secretary of War, defended the decision, stating that the execution should be public to demonstrate the serious consequences of such actions.

However, critics argue that the move could glorify violence and inspire more acts of terrorism.

Former Trump White House communications director Alyssa Farah Griffin supports capital punishment for terrorists but believes watching an execution is 'bad for the human soul.'

Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., and Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., both criticized the Pentagon's plan, with Smith calling it 'disturbing and a mockery of our legal system.'

Military law experts told the Associated Press that Hasan could file a habeas petition in civilian court, potentially delaying the execution.

The United Nations warned that broadcasting the execution could violate international human rights standards.

Shabia Mantoo, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated that public executions constitute a form of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.

Conservative talk show host Erick Erickson, who supports the death penalty, said a public, livestreamed execution would give Hasan the 'platform for martyrdom he wants.'

The execution, if carried out, would be the first by military firing squad since 1945 and the first public execution in the United States since 1937.

While some, like Congressman Randy Fine (R-Fla.), support the livestream, many argue that it could damage America's image and make the country more vulnerable.

The Pentagon's decision to livestream the execution has been met with significant moral and legal concerns, with critics warning of its potential to inspire further acts of terrorism and violate human rights standards.

What this adds

Background

What's confirmed

• Hegseth told Real America's Voice the execution would be public "because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
• "In no way can [Hasan's] actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered. The word of God exhorts us: 'do not repay anyone evil for evil,'" the archbishop said, citing Romans 12:17.
• Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said Thursday that the execution would be public.
• If carried out, it would be the first US military execution since 1961 and the first by military firing squad since 1945.
• "oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do."
• "Whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent ‌people," Vance told ⁠reporters.

What's still developing

• Updated on: October 9, 2026 / 1:49 PM EDT / CBS News Washington — The revelation that the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the ex-Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, has sparked intense pushback, with one Republican senator calling it "disgusting" and critics warning it could inspire more acts of terrorism.
• "not something you should view for entertainment purposes."
• "Or take it from AQ and ISIS, whose tactics offer the closest modern-day approximation of Hegseth's proposal. Either way, it's hard to conjure a more vivid example of his trademark performative bravado, which routinely damages America's image and, in this case, so ghoulishly leaves us more vulnerable."
• "You can take it from those of us who've spent years working on terrorism: the surest way to spawn more radicalized zealots is to glorify violence, embrace a cult of death, and create a martyr for the cause," Price wrote on X.
• "raises significant moral questions, above and beyond the questions related to the death penalty generally."
• “Showing it live is tantamount … to it being public, and could be a violation of the prohibition against torture,” Dujarric said.
• "I don't know that that's actually going to happen," Vance told reporters in Cincinnati, referring to a livestream.
• The U.S.’s last public execution, however, was nearly 90 years ago, which was the hanging of Roscoe “Red” Jackson in May 1937.
• The United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights reacted to the announcement, affirming that the broadcast would “breach the absolute prohibition of torture.” Hasan, a former army psychiatrist, attacked a medical facility in Fort Hood on Nov.
• In 2025, at least 17 public executions happened worldwide, according to Amnesty International: six in Afghanistan and 11 in Iran.
• Witnesses said he yelled “Allahu akbar,” Arabic for “God is great,” before the shooting – which has been classified as a terror attack.
• Download the Straight Arrow app today to get the stories that matter free from manipulation, bias or agenda.™ Hegseth made the announcement Thursday during an interview with the conservative news outlet Human Events, saying it was a “no-brainer” and that the time and place of the execution will be symbolic.

Sources

• CBS Newslink
• ColombiaOne.comlink
• Dunya Newslink
• Floridian Presslink
• Rollcalllink
• Straight Arrowlink
• Washington Timeslink
• WarpBeat — background on Plan for public military execution sparks bipartisan backlash link
• WarpBeat — background on Pentagon to Livestream First Military Execution Since WWII link
• CNN — video link