US Vice President JD Vance said Friday he would not watch the planned livestream of Nidal Hasan’s execution. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. President Donald Trump said he had approved the broadcast, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Americans would be able to watch it.
The plan has caused a split among Republican lawmakers. Some support showing the execution to the public. Others argue that broadcasting a person’s death is wrong, even when the person has been sentenced to death for a serious crime.
Hasan’s execution is scheduled for December. Officials are expected to carry it out by firing squad. If the livestream goes ahead, it would be the first public execution in the United States in 90 years. It would also be the first military execution since 1961.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Vance said the debate over the method should not take attention away from the victims of the attack.
“Whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don’t forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people,” Vance said.
Still, the vice president made clear that he would not watch the event if it were shown online.
“Now that said, I mean, look, if it’s all through livestream, I’m not going to be watching it,” he said.
Trump discussed the proposed livestream during a separate exchange with reporters on Friday. Asked whether he had approved the plan, the president answered directly.
“Did I approve? Absolutely, I approve,” Trump said.
His remarks came one day after Hegseth spoke about the broadcast in an interview. The defense secretary said officials would make the execution available for people to watch.
“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it,” Hegseth said. He added that Americans needed to understand that serious crimes bring serious consequences.
A report later said the execution would be livestreamed. However, the final details of the plan remain unclear.
The proposal has raised questions about public access to executions and how the government should handle such events. It has also led to a debate over whether showing an execution serves a public purpose or risks turning a punishment into a spectacle.
Several Republican lawmakers have criticized the decision to make the execution public. They say Hasan should face the sentence imposed for his crimes but oppose showing the event to viewers.
Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina spoke against the plan in a post on X late Thursday. Tillis, who is leaving the Senate, said Hasan should face the death penalty. However, he called the idea of streaming the execution deeply offensive.
Tillis also compared public executions to practices used by governments he described as oppressive. He said the United States should not follow that path.
Sen. John Curtis of Utah also opposed the broadcast. In a post on X, Curtis said showing an execution would diminish society and would not serve as an effective deterrent to crime.
Curtis warned that a livestream could encourage people to view executions as entertainment. He said the victims deserved justice handled with dignity and respect.
Their views show that support for the death penalty does not always extend to public broadcasts. Both senators drew a distinction between carrying out a court sentence and making the process available for public viewing.
Other Republican politicians have supported the proposed livestream. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee welcomed the plan in a post on X.
“Excellent. Public execution is what this terrorist deserves. We will be watching,” Ogles wrote.
His response stood in contrast to the concerns raised by Tillis, Curtis and Vance. The different reactions show a divide within the Republican Party over how the execution should be carried out and presented to the public.
Supporters say allowing people to watch could show the consequences of serious crimes. Critics argue that a broadcast could turn a legal punishment into a form of entertainment.
The Fort Hood shooting in 2009 killed 13 people and remains central to the case against Hasan. His planned execution has drawn attention because military executions are rare in the United States.
The use of a firing squad and the possibility of a livestream have added to the public debate. The proposal has also raised concerns about respect for the victims and their families.
Trump has said he approved the broadcast, while Hegseth has said the public will be able to watch. Vance has made clear that he will not tune in.
As December approaches, the debate is likely to continue. Questions remain about the final broadcast plans and whether the event will be shown as officials have described.
