Trump slams Nobel Peace Prize choice as ‘disgraceful’

US President Donald Trump expressed skepticism on Friday regarding the Pentagon's plan to live-stream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood shooting that left 13 dead. The execution, scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, would be the first by a US military firing squad since 1945. Initially, a Pentagon official confirmed the live stream would occur, following remarks by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

However, Trump's doubts remain about the execution being publicly broadcasted, stating, "I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes."

Vice-President J.D. Vance had earlier stated he was unaware if the live stream would take place. Republican Representative Austin Scott and Senator Mark Kelly, both Democrats, voiced opposition to live streaming executions, suggesting it was akin to the tactics used by terrorist groups like ISIS and the Taliban. Technology companies such as YouTube, Meta Platforms, and X were approached regarding their policies on streaming such events, while TikTok's policy already bans depictions of graphic incidents.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the plan, deeming it tantamount to a public execution and a violation of torture prohibition. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, referred to it as a "barbaric promotion of a culture of death." The last military execution occurred in 1961, while Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 and executed for his role in the Fort Hood massacre.