According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump overturned the decision made by Defense Secretary James Mattis on October 15 local time, announcing the cancellation of a live broadcast of the execution of a former U.S. Army Major. Previously, this live broadcast plan had received widespread opposition from Republicans, religious leaders, and the public.
Trump stated on "Real Social Media" on the 15th that Nidal Malik Hasan, who was sentenced to death for the Fort Hood military base shooting incident in 2009, will still be executed as planned, but this process will not be broadcast live.
I think, broadcasting the execution process live to the whole world, allowing people all over the globe to witness America's treatment of terrorists like Hashem, might have a powerful deterrent effect. However, many kind and well-intentioned people are unwilling to watch him be executed through online live streaming or any other form of visual display. Trump wrote.
Hassan was a former major in the U.S. Army and a military physician specializing in psychiatry. In 2009, he shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood Military Base. He is scheduled to be executed at the crime scene on December 3rd, becoming the first military prisoner executed by an execution squad in U.S. military history since 1945.
According to current practices in the United States, the families of the victims in the Hassan case can attend the execution if they wish.
The U.S. Department of Defense stated on October 8 that it would live-stream the execution of Hassan through the internet, but did not specify the platform. Trump said on the 10th that he had not yet made a final decision regarding whether to live-stream the execution.
A White House official who requested anonymity revealed to Reuters that Trump and his advisors were unaware of this live broadcast plan beforehand.
Some members of Trump's Republican party, including Vice President Vance, as well as religious leaders, have expressed varying degrees of opposition to the Pentagon's live broadcast plan. Polls show that most Americans oppose this live execution broadcast.
Archbishop Timothy Broglie, who is responsible for the religious affairs of Catholics in the U.S. Armed Forces, also raised objections; Pope Leo XIV condemned capital punishment in all its forms.
Reuters reports that Trump’s decision to cancel the live broadcast indicates a rare disagreement with his close ally Hagee. However, the Pentagon emphasized that their positions on this matter are “completely consistent”.
The Pentagon stated in a statement that Trump had communicated with Hagersey regarding this matter before announcing his decision through the “Real Social” platform.
During the controversy surrounding the live execution broadcast, the US death penalty system has also been questioned due to a recent failed execution.
Last month, when Krista Pike was executed in Tennessee, both injections of the lethal drug failed to kill her. Pike was convicted of murder in the 1990s. The failed execution resulted in severe injuries for her, and she was taken to the hospital for treatment. According to the Associated Press, she was discharged from the hospital on October 10 and returned to prison.
