WASHINGTON, D.C. – Religious leaders and the Speaker of the House are pushing back on the military’s proposed livestream of a firing squad execution for Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people.
In a statement from Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the Catholic church’s pastoral services to servicemembers, is condemning the proposed livestream of the firing squad execution of Hasan. Hasan, an army psychiatrist, was convicted of a 2009 mass shooting in fort Hood, Texas where 13 people died. He’s scheduled to be executed by firing squad in early December. The last person executed by the US military was Army Private John Bennett in 1961. He was hanged after being convicted of raping and attempting to kill an eleven year-old Austrian girl.
In the statement from Broglio, he renewed his sympathy to the families and friends of those who died in the attack and he said he repeats the opposition of the Catholic church to capital punishment. He adds “do we really want to imitate the terrorists of this world and make a public spectacle of barbarically killing our adversaries? The crime committed by Nidal Malik Hasan was heinous, but does exposing the public to his execution serve any purpose?”
The Archbishop is not alone in his opposition. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson told CBS News that the footage could be used as a recruiting tool for future terrorists. Congressional Republicans also shared their concerns. Even Vice President JD Vance chimed in.:
“This is a guy who committed in my view the worst terrorist attack on American soil outside of 9/11,” said the Vice President. “The people that he was meant to treat, the Army soldiers he was meant to treat, for mental illness and other problems, he took them at their most vulnerable and gunned down these people where they lived. So, whatever the controversy is about the method of execution – I hope that people don’t forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people. Now that said, look, if it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not gonna be watching it.”
On Saturday the President said he would make the final decision. When asked again on Tuesday whether he’s still considering to livestream the execution, he only offered this:
“We’re looking at it,” replied the President.
