Vance on Hegseth plan for livestreamed execution: 'I'm not going to be watching it'

In a recent interview with reporters, US Vice-President JD Vance expressed skepticism about the Pentagon's plans to livestream a firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter. Vance stated, "I don't know that that's actually going to happen" and added, "If it's through live stream, I'm not going to be watching it."

He described Hasan's actions as "the worst terrorist attack on American soil outside of 9/11," noting that Hasan had fatally shot 13 unarmed US soldiers at Fort Hood in 2009, injuring another 32. This would be the first military execution in over 60 years.

The Pentagon announced earlier this week that Hasan would be executed by firing squad, the first such execution since World War Two. However, on Thursday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the execution would be livestreamed for the public, stating that people need to understand the serious consequences of such actions. The BBC asked the White House whether President Trump supported these plans, but Vance remained uncertain about their likelihood.

Vance's skepticism about the livestream plan was met with criticism from both political parties. Republican Senator John Curtis compared the execution to Rome's bloody spectacles, warning that public executions could erode civilization by cultivating an appetite for executions as entertainment. He urged Hegseth to reconsider his plan, stating that the victims deserved justice administered with solemnity, and that broadcasting a death diminishes society and is not an effective deterrent.

Democratic Senator Chris Murphy also condemned the idea as disgusting and reminiscent of executions carried out by the Islamic State group. The UN human rights office condemned the decision to livestream Hasan's execution, stating that it would be tantamount to a public execution and breach the absolute prohibition of torture.