Live broadcast of execution of death row inmates sparks opposition, Trump says he has not yet given the nod

The U.S. Department of War plans to execute a death row prisoner by firing squad and broadcast it live online, sparking opposition from Republican lawmakers, religious leaders and international observers. U.S. President Trump said today that he has not yet decided whether to allow the live broadcast.

Reuters reported that former U.S. Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. He was found guilty by a U.S. military court-martial and is scheduled to be executed on December 3. U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance expressed doubts about whether the War Department would actually implement the live broadcast plan.

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"I don't know if it's actually going to happen," Vance told reporters in Cincinnati about the live broadcast plan backed by War Secretary Pete Hegseth. Vance also said that if it were broadcast publicly, "I wouldn't watch it."

Trump told the media that Hasan deserved to be executed by firing squad, calling him "completely crazy." But when asked whether he wanted to live broadcast the execution, Trump said that a "decision had not been made."

Agence France-Presse reported that Trump said about the plan to broadcast a firing squad execution: "They are making a decision, but he will be executed. I really don't care how he dies, as long as he obeys the law."

A U.S. Catholic prelate, a U.S. evangelical Christian leader and the U.N. human rights office have all expressed opposition to the plan.

Many Republican members of Congress also came out against the public live broadcast.

U.S. Senator John Curtis wrote on social media: "When a civilization treats the death penalty as entertainment and cultivates a hobby, the civilization will gradually decline."

Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Austin Scott pointed out that live broadcasting executions is something only Islamic extremists would do. Rep. Rob Bresnahan said the pain felt by victims and their families "should be respected and not made a public spectacle."

Rep. Michael Baumgartner also wrote on social media: "This decision should be reconsidered."

Even for a country that has long retained the death penalty, such a move is extremely rare. Experts on the death penalty issue point out that the U.S. government has never publicly broadcast or live broadcast executions, and the U.S. military has not executed anyone by firing squad since 1945. Hassan, 56, was shot by police when he was arrested and is believed to be using a wheelchair.

A senior White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Trump was not opposed to the idea of ​​livestreaming executions in principle but could change his mind. The official revealed that members of Congress, allies and religious leaders are urging the government not to conduct live broadcasts, and the White House is listening to relevant concerns from all parties.