JD Vance says he has no plans to watch the Pentagon’s proposed livestream of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan’s execution, and he is not convinced the broadcast will happen at all.
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The vice president addressed the growing controversy Friday, October 9, after reporters questioned whether the planned Fort Hood execution livestream conflicts with his Catholic faith.According to CBS News, Vance expressed uncertainty about the Pentagon’s announcement, telling reporters, “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen.”
Despite questioning the broadcast, Vance emphasized that the debate should not overshadow the seriousness of Hasan’s crimes.
“Whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don’t forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people,” Vance said.
He then clarified his personal position on watching the execution.
“If it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it.”
Vance did not explicitly demand that the Pentagon cancel the broadcast. However, his comments add another layer to a growing national conversation about capital punishment, public executions, and whether broadcasting someone’s death crosses an ethical line.
According to the Associated Press, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to make Hasan’s execution accessible to the public.
“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public,” Hegseth said.
Pentagon officials subsequently confirmed that the execution would be livestreamed. However, authorities have not explained which platform would carry the broadcast or established specific viewing arrangements.
The U.S. Army confirmed that Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time at Fort Hood, Texas.
Trump approved the death sentence on October 2, following a recommendation from military leadership. Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle subsequently established the execution date.
The planned Fort Hood execution would make history. The military has not carried out an execution since 1961, when Army private John Bennett was hanged. Its last execution by firing squad occurred during the World War II era.
Hasan’s crimes date back to November 5, 2009, when the former Army major and psychiatrist opened fire inside Fort Hood’s Soldier Readiness Processing Center.
According to U.S. Army court records, the shooting left 13 people dead and 32 others wounded. The victims included military personnel and a civilian employee.
Hasan was convicted in August 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. A military jury sentenced him to death, and the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review his conviction in March 2025.
Trump has publicly defended the punishment. During a White House event, he said Hasan would receive “the death penalty through firing squad” and added, “He deserves it.”
Trump also described Hasan as “a maniac.” However, CBS News reported that Trump had not publicly addressed whether the execution should be livestreamed.
The broadcast proposal has generated criticism from both political parties.
According to CBS News, Republican Senator Thom Tillis described the decision as “beyond disgusting,” arguing that public executions resemble practices associated with oppressive governments.
Republican Senator John Curtis also urged Hegseth to reconsider, warning that broadcasting an execution could turn punishment into entertainment rather than preserve the seriousness of justice.
Religious leaders have raised similar objections. In an official statement, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, called the livestream proposal a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death.
The response from people directly affected by the shooting has been especially significant.
Former Army Sergeant Alonzo Lunsford, who survived being shot seven times, supports Hasan’s execution but opposes presenting it as public entertainment.
Meanwhile, CBS Texas interviewed Leila Hunt Willingham, whose 22-year-old brother, J.D. Hunt, died protecting others during the attack.
“I don’t find peace in that. My peace comes from my faith,” Willingham said about the upcoming execution.
Other survivors have described the emotional difficulty of returning to Fort Hood nearly 17 years after the shooting. Some intend to attend the execution, while others prefer not to witness another death.
There are also unresolved legal questions surrounding the Fort Hood execution.
According to the Associated Press, Hasan could still file a habeas corpus petition in civilian federal court challenging his detention or sentence. Such a filing could delay the scheduled execution substantially.
Military legal experts have also questioned the procedures surrounding the firing squad and the notification process.
For now, the December 3 date remains scheduled, and the Pentagon’s livestream announcement remains in place despite Vance’s uncertainty.
As the controversy continues, the central question extends beyond whether Hasan will face his sentence. It is whether the government should turn that punishment into a broadcast available to the public, especially as survivors and victims’ families continue living with the consequences of the 2009 tragedy.
