The revelation that the U.S. Pentagon plans to broadcast live the execution of Nidal Hassan, the perpetrator of the Fort Hood base shooting incident, has sparked strong opposition from all parties.
According to NBC's report on October 11th, US President Donald Trump said on Saturday (October 10th) that he has not made a final decision regarding whether the execution will be televised. He told reporters at the White House, "There are two ideas: one is to keep it secret, and the other is to make it public. You know, after it becomes public, maybe others won't follow his example. So I will make a decision eventually. I know what the military wants to do, but I will make a decision."
He also talked about Hassan’s crimes, calling him a “ferocious killer” who killed 13 people and injured more than 20 others. Some of these people will never be able to return to a normal life.
The day before this statement, Trump told reporters that he had “absolutely” approved the live broadcast plan for the US military. However, when asked whether he wanted to live stream the execution process, Trump did not give a clear answer. Before going to Syracuse, New York, to attend a political event, he said, “Well, they are making a decision on this.”
However, he once again expressed support for the execution by shooting, saying that Hassan ‘deserves what he gets’. He told reporters, ‘He will be executed. He will be shot by the execution squad. I really don’t care how he dies, as long as he is executed. I believe that death penalty is an appropriate outcome for him.’
When asked whether he would watch the execution live, Trump did not answer.
On November 5, 2009, Hassan, a psychological doctor with the U.S. Army at the time, shot at the Fort Hood military base where he served. This incident resulted in the death of 13 people and injuries to over 30 others. It became one of the most serious shootings in the history of U.S. military bases. Hassan later claimed that he acted in opposition to the “unjust wars” carried out by the United States in Afghanistan and Iraq. In August 2013, Hassan was sentenced to death.
On Thursday, U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis announced that the execution scheduled for December 3rd would be televised live. He told American media that the execution would be public, “because people need to understand that such actions have serious consequences.” Pentagon spokesman Sean Pennelly said that the plan proposed by Mattis and approved by President Trump would be carried out by the Army Criminal Court. “The Army Secretary will determine the time and place for the execution.”
The American Vice President Viscer said on Friday that he was not sure whether the federal government would broadcast the execution live. He added that if it were to be broadcast, he would not watch it. American media reported that Viscer later converted to Catholicism, and the Catholic Church has long been opposed to the death penalty.
According to statistics from the American non-profit organization 'Death Penalty Information Center', if this execution takes place as scheduled, it would be the first time in over 60 years that the U.S. military has carried out an execution. On April 13, 1961, the U.S. military executed a soldier who had been convicted of rape and attempted murder by hanging. The last recorded execution by firing squad by the U.S. military occurred in 1936.
The related live execution broadcasts have sparked significant controversy. The Associated Press reports that Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress generally condemn this practice, calling it "scary" and "repulsive," and they are appealing to the Pentagon to change its approach. Reuters notes that public executions are extremely rare worldwide. Experts say that no other country currently broadcasts executions live on television or online.
On social media, some netizens said, "This is something only a pathological country would do"; others criticized the practice as "barbaric" and stating that it "only encourages more gun violence". Some also said, "He should be sentenced to death, but I don't think it's necessary to broadcast this live. That being said, we all have the right to choose whether to watch or not. Anyway, I won’t watch it."
The American-born Pope Leo XIV also expressed his opposition on Saturday. According to reports from The Washington Post, on this day that death penalty opponents call "World Day Against the Death Penalty," Leo did not specifically mention the United States or Hassan. However, he posted a message on social media reiterating his stance against the death penalty, calling it "unacceptable" and an "attack on human dignity." He argued that "it is possible to safeguard common interests and meet the demands of justice without resorting to the death penalty." He ended his post with the hashtag #AgainstTheDeathPenalty.
Leo also encouraged high-ranking American church officials to speak out on matters concerning American domestic affairs. On Friday, Paul Kocley, president of the American Catholic Bishops Conference, issued a statement condemning the planned live broadcast as “a barbaric promotion of death culture,” and urging the Pentagon to reconsider the plan. Archbishop Kocley cited the Bible’s Book of Romans: “Even the public execution of someone who has committed serious crimes can only further undermine the moral foundation of our nation and become a stain on the national conscience.”
American media have pointed out that in recent years, the Catholic Church has strengthened its opposition to the death penalty, especially during Pope Francis's tenure. Since taking over last year, Leo has also repeatedly condemned the death penalty. Last year, he publicly questioned those in the United States who claim to “uphold the right to life,” accusing them of opposing abortion while still supporting the death penalty. “If someone says ‘I oppose abortion’ but also says ‘I support the death penalty,’ then they are not truly those who uphold the right to life,” he said.
