An Execution Is Not Entertainment

Until President Trump relented to public pressure, Pete Hegseth was planning for the Pentagon to livestream the execution by firing squad of the Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Hasan, who murdered 13 people and wounded 32 others in 2009.

That would be un-American and dangerous, which is why I introduced a bill today to ban public executions.

Let’s be clear about something. What happened at Fort Hood was a horrific act of violence. Thirteen Americans lost their lives, and their families have lived with that loss for nearly two decades. Hasan was convicted of those murders and should face justice.

But turning his execution into something that our kids, our allies, and our adversaries around the world can tune in to watch? That’s the kind of thing we see with regimes like Iran and the Taliban in Afghanistan. And it’s not the kind of country we want to live in.

I spent 25 years in the United States Navy serving the country I love. As part of that service I flew 39 combat missions. It’s where I learned that the strength of our military has never been measured simply by our technology or our ability to project lethal force. It’s also measured by our discipline, our professionalism, and our commitment to the rule of law.

Those things matter. They distinguish us from our adversaries and make our military and service members the most effective in the world.

That’s a distinction Pete Hegseth doesn’t seem to understand.

He runs around talking about “maximum lethality” and “killing people.” He brags about the number of bombs and missiles dropped on Iran. And he wanted to publicly execute a prisoner. Even Trump, in his post saying the livestream wouldn’t go forward, said that he thought it would be a deterrent.

Terrorists don’t need reminders about the consequences of their actions. In fact, a public execution would play right into the hands of those who want to be martyrs and risks becoming a recruiting tool for extremists.

So what exactly would broadcasting an execution accomplish? How would it make Americans safer?

I haven’t heard a good answer because there isn’t one. And that’s why I’ve introduced this bill to stop anything like it in the future.

In America we approach administering criminal punishment solemnly to advance justice. We don’t turn it into a spectacle for broadcast.

We should expect our leaders to understand the seriousness of their power and to use it responsibly. And when they don’t, they have to be held accountable.