Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism on Friday regarding whether the Pentagon will move forward with plans to broadcast the December execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Malik Hasan, noting that even if it occurs, "I’m not going to be watching it."
When questioned about the broad public broadcast confirmed by Pete Hegseth a day earlier, the vice president stated, "I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen."
He looked to pivot away from the controversy surrounding the public broadcast proposal, emphasizing that the gravity of Hasan's violent acts must remain the primary focus.
In 2009, Hasan carried out a mass shooting at the Texas military post, leaving 13 people dead and 32 others wounded.
"So 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 remarked.
He further noted: "Now, that said, I mean, look, if it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it."
The comments come from a politician who converted to the Catholic Church, an institution that stands firmly against the death penalty.
Earlier on Friday, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voiced strong opposition to the planned public broadcast.
"It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hassan. Our God is the God of life. In no way can Hassan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered," said Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the Conference.
Addressing a White House gathering earlier in the day, President Donald Trump declared that Hasan would receive "the death penalty through firing squad. And he deserves it."
Trump, who formally authorized the death sentence, described Hasan as "a maniac."
The approval of execution by firing squad followed a botched lethal injection attempt involving Christa Pike in Tennessee late last month, which prompted the state's governor to pause all upcoming executions this year.
Hegseth noted that the American armed forces have not carried out an execution by firing squad since World War II. The most recent military execution occurred on April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was put to death by hanging.
While President Donald Trump has consistently advocated for capital punishment, he made no reference during his remarks to the Pentagon's intention to stream the execution publicly.
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