Vice President JD Vance said he would not watch a livestream of the planned execution of the 2009 Fort Hood shooter and cast doubt on whether the Pentagon’s plan for a public execution would go forward at all. He made the remarks after casting his ballot in Ohio’s midterm elections, stating he did not believe the execution would actually happen and that he would not watch it even if it were livestreamed. Vance emphasized that the method of execution should not distract from the gravity of Maj.
Nidal Malik Hasan’s crimes, who killed 13 and wounded 32 in the deadliest shooting on an American military base. He described Hasan’s attack as the worst terrorist act on U.S. soil outside of 9/11, noting the betrayal of treating soldiers while then killing them in their most vulnerable state. Vance acknowledged the controversy over the firing squad method but urged the public not to forget Hasan’s brutal actions.
His comments contrasted sharply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who called the public execution a “no-brainer” and praised the World War II-era mentality of winning. Democrats and some GOP lawmakers criticized the plan to stream the execution, as did top Catholic leaders, including Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, who called it a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death.” Vance, a Catholic convert, has previously clashed with church leaders over policy, including Pope Leo XIV, whom he said should stay out of American affairs.
The Catholic Church opposes all capital punishment, viewing it as incompatible with the sanctity of life, a stance that also underlies its opposition to abortion. President Trump, a vocal death penalty advocate, approved Hasan’s execution, according to the Pentagon.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing