Mike Johnson: US House leader opposes live execution

US Republicans have been debating the planned live broadcast of an execution for days. US House of Representatives Chairman Mike Johnson has expressed reservations about showing the military firing squad. "The concern would be that a video would be produced that could serve as a recruiting tool for future terrorists," Johnson told CBS News on Monday. "We have to think carefully about the political implications of all this."

The Republican said he would definitely not watch the execution if it was broadcast live. “There are colleagues who have concerns,” Johnson continued.

“People need to understand that actions have consequences”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that he would broadcast live the execution of convicted assassin Nidal Hasan by a military firing squad. Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 for shooting 13 people and wounding around 30 others at the Fort Hood military base in the US state of Texas. Hasan would be the first person to be executed by a US military firing squad since 1945.

The announcement of the live broadcast sparked outrage internationally and among US Democrats and US Republicans. US President Donald Trump, a vocal supporter of the death penalty, said it was not his idea but he understood the intention behind it and approved it. The defense minister told the right-wing conservative US broadcaster Real America's Voice that they would ensure that people could publicly observe the execution of Nidal Hasan. "People need to understand that such acts have serious consequences."