Pentagon's plan to livestream execution sparks backlash

“Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do,” said GOP Sen. Thom Tillis.

Washington — The revelation that the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the ex-Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, has sparked intense pushback, with one Republican senator calling it "disgusting" and critics warning it could inspire more acts of terrorism.On Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed CBS News' reporting that the Dec. 3 execution will be livestreamed. Hegseth told Real America's Voice the execution would be public "because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things." Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that Hegseth recommended, and President Trump approved, a plan to use an Army firing squad.

"Death penalty through firing squad, and he deserves it," Mr. Trump said during an unrelated White House event on Friday. Republican Sen. Thom Tillis, who is retiring, called the decision "beyond disgusting." Tillis voted to confirm Hegseth, but is now expressing his regret in doing so. "Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting," Tillis wrote on X. "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America."Republican Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia wrote on X, "I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do.