Americans draw the line at livestreaming ‘spectacle’ of Fort Hood shooter's execution: ‘It’s an abomination’
Americans are overwhelmingly against the Pentagon's decision to livestream the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan later this year.
Those who spoke with Fox News Digital blasted the broadcast as "a shame" and "just weird."
"I think that's absolutely absurd," Anya from Virginia said when asked about the livestream announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. "I think they should keep that discreet and off of the public news."
"It's an abomination. It should not happen," Paul from Illinois definitively stated. "And I'd hate to be one of the soldiers that's tasked with the job of pulling the trigger."
Hegseth announced last Thursday the decision to make viewing the execution publicly available. It is set to be the first U.S. military execution in over six decades.
Department of War has advanced the request for the execution of the Fort Hood shooter
The execution of the mass shooter who killed 13 people and injured 32 in 2009 at Ford Hood, is scheduled for Dec. 3, 2026. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist at the time of the shooting, is now 56-years-old and is wheelchair bound after he was left partially paralyzed after being shot by police officers during his arrest almost 17 years ago.
Several Americans interviewed by Fox News Digital supported Hasan's death sentence but drew the line at broadcasting his execution, warning it could turn capital punishment into a public spectacle and could be particularly dangerous in today's political climate.
"I'm not necessarily against giving him the death penalty, but I feel like livestreaming for people's entertainment is just weird," Nick from Virginia said.
"I agree with the sentence," Bobbie from Massachusetts said. "I don't agree with televising it."
He added, "Especially given the climate of today, I'm not sure it's something we need to see."
"It’s not a practice we should be doing in modern society," Reid from Ohio said. "It's rather medieval in my opinion. I'm certainly pro-death penalty for heinous crimes such as that, but I think that…turns it into something of a spectacle that it really doesn't have any business being."
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But one Virginia man took a drastically different position, suggesting the government should charge Americans to watch the execution and donate the proceeds to the family of a U.S. service members who died in the line of duty.
"I think they're missing an opportunity," Jason from Virginia said. "It should be pay-per-view and all the proceeds should go to Gold Star families."
He continued, "You have someone who was a murderous traitor to our country. And there's not a lot of coverage about that. So I think the public needs and deserves to know the consequences to, well FAFO."
Photographs of victims of the shooting are seen surrounding the podium where the memorial service that U.S. President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will attend for the thirteen victims of the shooting rampage by U.S. Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan on November 10, 2009 in Fort Hood, Texas. Hasan, an army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 30 in a shooting at the military base on November 5, 2009. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Some raised concerns that the execution leaves children vulnerable to possibly accessing or being exposed to watching Hasan die on livestream.
"We have enough violence in our society," William from Virginia said. "I'm pretty sure he's guilty, but it doesn't need to be public. Children could be watching that."
"I just don't think that stuff like that should be put on the mainstream," Ferris from Massachusetts said. "Especially considering that children may have access to seeing it."
Another pointed out Hasan’s health status, arguing the issue could be approached differently if he was "up and around" but citing the shooter’s well-being as a reason he sees the livestreamed execution as that much more wrong.
"You're executing somebody who's not mentally stable, who is in this wheelchair situation," one respondent told Fox News Digital.
The Trump administration’s announcement of the livestream was largely widely seen as a power play for the United States, demonstrating the consequences of committing such an act of terror on American soil — particularly committing violence toward members of the U.S. military.
"I think they're trying to make an example out of him, you know?" Nick said. "I think it's like a show of power. They're trying to be like… 'don't mess with us.'"
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"I think it's a message that we're big and tough, and we don't have much humanity left," Paul said.
Trump said Saturday that he will make the decision of whether to livestream Hasan’s execution, acknowledging that he knows "what the military would like to do" following Hegseth’s confirmation.
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Vice President J.D. Vance also said Friday that he was not sure that the federal government will be livestreaming the execution, also adding that he would not personally view the livestream.
"The world's gone crazy," Anya said. "We need Jesus."
Hannah is a Production Assistant for the Politics team at Fox News Digital.
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