Vice President Vance challenges Pentagon plan to livestream Nidal Hasan execution

Vice President JD Vance has cast doubt on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's announcement that the December firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will be livestreamed.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Friday that he is unsure if the federal government will proceed with plans to broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan. While traveling to a campaign event, Vance stated, "I don't know that that’s going to happen," directly contradicting an announcement made by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Vance added that if a livestream occurs, he will not watch it, though he described Hasan's 2009 attack as the worst act of terrorism on American soil since 9/11.

The conflicting statements have created uncertainty regarding the December 3 execution. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he "absolutely" approved of the livestream plans, according to BBC News, but noted the Pentagon was still "making a determination" on the matter. Secretary Hegseth had previously told Real America's Voice that the event would be public to ensure people understand there are "serious consequences" for such crimes. Hegseth specified the firing squad would take place at 1 p.m. local time, matching the time of the original 2009 shooting.

The proposal has drawn sharp bipartisan criticism from lawmakers. Republican Senator Thom Tillis compared the plan to the practices of "oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan," while Senator John Curtis warned that public executions as entertainment could erode American civilization. On the Democratic side, Senator Jack Reed told Al Jazeera that livestreaming the death would be a "barbaric spectacle" and a "gift to anti-American terrorist recruiters."

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said on Friday that his agency would "defer to Secretary Hegseth" regarding whether television networks can broadcast the event. Carr noted that while the FCC lacks jurisdiction over online livestreams, he trusts Hegseth to make the correct decision for public airwaves. The Verge reported that major tech platforms, including Meta, X, and YouTube, have not yet commented on whether they would host the footage of the execution.

Background

Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted and sentenced to death for the 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood Army base in Texas, which left 13 people dead and 32 injured. Hasan is currently paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair due to injuries sustained during his arrest at the scene.