Trump cancels plans for execution livestream after blowback
More than 70 retired military leaders had condemned the “barbaric” order.
US President Donald Trump has canceled plans to livestream the execution of a former military officer following widespread criticism. Over 70 retired military leaders denounced the "barbaric" order, with the last known public execution in the US taking place in 1936. Iran and Afghanistan remain the only countries that regularly carry out public executions.
The New Yorker's Dexter Filkins shared his experience of witnessing a Taliban-staged execution in Kabul, describing it as "different, but not by much." While Hegseth argued that a public execution could deter similar actions, a historian countered that Americans at the republic's founding debated the premise. A former military officer who studied execution videos stated, "no sane person enjoys looking at an execution... to do so for the crass purpose of entertainment is even worse."
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