President Donald Trump has weighed in on the Pentagon's plan to livestream the firing-squad execution of Fort Hood mass murderer Nidal Hasan — and he's not stopping it. Asked about the groundbreaking decision to make the execution fully public, Trump said he understands exactly why the Pentagon wants the cameras rolling. "They want to do that because they want to set an example," the president said. "I wasn't involved in that decision, but I understand the decision. He went in and killed 14 people; he badly, badly wounded 22 people — walked into a room, just started firing at everybody, screaming things that he shouldn't be screaming. I guess they want to have it serve as an example, and I understand that very well."
The comments came in a Friday night interview in Syracuse, New York, with WSTM-TV — the same evening Trump had already put the sentence itself on the record at a White House Columbus Day event. "Death penalty through firing squad, and he deserves it," he declared. "Killed and wounded many, many people. A maniac." Before departing for his Syracuse rally, he told reporters the broadcast question was still being worked out — "they're making a determination about that" — but made clear his own bottom line: "I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him." Trump had personally approved the execution on October 5 at Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's recommendation, the sign-off military law requires before any death sentence can be carried out.
Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire at Fort Hood's soldier readiness center on November 5, 2009, shouting "Allahu Akbar" as he gunned down soldiers preparing for deployment. Thirteen people were killed and 32 wounded. A military jury convicted him in 2013 on 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and sentenced him to death. He has sat on military death row at Fort Leavenworth for more than 12 years awaiting the presidential approval that finally came this month. If carried out on December 3 as scheduled — 1 p.m. Central time at Fort Hood — it would be the first U.S. military execution since Pvt. John Bennett was hanged in 1961, and the first military firing squad since Pvt. Eddie Slovik was shot for desertion in 1945. Hegseth announced the livestream on Thursday, telling Real America's Voice: "He's gonna get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be. We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public — because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
One of the most prominent voices cheering the plan on is Dr. Robert Jeffress, the senior pastor of the 16,000-member First Baptist Dallas, a Fox News contributor and longtime Trump supporter. In a Facebook post tagging the Department of War and Hegseth himself, Jeffress wrote: "Capital punishment is commanded by God in Genesis 9:6 to remind people of the sanctity of human life. The more people that can see that truth illustrated through a public execution, the better." He is not alone in the pulpit. Lakepointe Church pastor Josh Howerton noted that biblical death penalties were carried out publicly "before all the assembly," serving two purposes — justice and public deterrence, "so the rest of the people shall hear and fear." Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee added his own verdict: "Excellent. Public execution is what this terrorist deserves. We will be watching."
But the backlash has been fierce — and bipartisan. Retiring Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, who voted to confirm Hegseth, called the plan "beyond disgusting," writing: "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America." Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia agreed with the sentence but not the spectacle: "I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that." Sen. John Curtis of Utah urged Hegseth to reconsider, warning that "a civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment." Democrats piled on — Sen. Chris Murphy called it "medieval" and Sen. Jack Reed called it "a gift to anti-American terrorist recruiters." The United Nations condemned the plan as "abhorrent," warning it could violate the prohibition against torture. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called it a "barbaric promotion of a culture of death." Even Vice President JD Vance broke ranks, saying he doubts the livestream will happen at all — and that he won't be watching if it does.
Perhaps the most complicated voice belongs to former Army Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who was shot seven times in the Fort Hood attack and survived. Lunsford supports the firing squad — but not the cameras. The execution is "not something you should view for entertainment purposes," he told the BBC. Still, he plans to be there in person on December 3. "Before they pull the trigger, I want him to look at me in my eyes and I look at him in his eyes and I want him to know: 'Dude, you failed, I'm still here.'" He added that as a Christian, he has forgiven Hasan — "I cannot heal if I don't forgive him."
Whether the world actually watches remains an open question. Vance's public doubt has cracked the administration's united front, legal experts say courts could still intervene, and no government on earth has ever livestreamed an execution. But the sentence itself is no longer in doubt. After 17 years, 13 dead, and 12 years on death row, Nidal Hasan's execution has a date, a method, and a president's signature.