United States Vice President JD Vance has said he will not watch a livestream of the planned execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist sentenced to death for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting.
Speaking to reporters in Kentucky on Friday, Vance also questioned whether the Pentagon would proceed with the proposed broadcast.
“I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” Vance said. “If it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it.”
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others after opening fire at Fort Hood, a US Army installation in Texas, in November 2009. His execution is scheduled for December 3.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the proposed livestream on Thursday, arguing that the public should understand the consequences of committing such crimes.
Vance condemned Hasan’s actions and urged the public not to allow the debate over the broadcast to overshadow the victims. He noted that Hasan attacked soldiers who were supposed to be receiving medical care.
President Donald Trump has expressed support for Hasan’s execution by firing squad, saying the convicted killer deserves the punishment. However, the White House had not publicly clarified Trump’s position on livestreaming the execution at the time of Vance’s remarks.
The Pentagon’s proposal has drawn criticism from lawmakers, religious leaders and other public figures.
Republican Senator Thom Tillis said that although Hasan should face the sentence imposed on him, publicly broadcasting an execution would be inappropriate and would cross a line.
Other critics have warned that a livestream could turn capital punishment into a public spectacle and undermine the dignity of the victims and their families.
Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, also criticised the proposal, describing it as promoting a “culture of death.” He said Hasan’s crimes could not be condoned but urged the government to reconsider broadcasting the execution.
Vance, a Catholic convert, was also questioned about the proposal in relation to his religious beliefs.
Hasan remains on military death row. If the execution proceeds as planned, it would be the first US military execution since 1961 and the first conducted by firing squad since 1945.
The Pentagon has indicated that it intends to proceed with the broadcast, but Vance’s remarks suggest that uncertainty remains over whether the livestream will take place.
