Hegseth Announces Live Broadcast of Fort Hood Shooter's Execution; US Execution Ceremony Unseen for 90 Years Returns to Television

According to Al Jazeera, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on Thursday in remarks to the media that the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, would be carried out in an "open" manner. A Pentagon official subsequently confirmed to Al Jazeera that the execution would be shown to the public via live broadcast.

Speaking on conservative outlet Real America's Voice, Hegseth told host Jack Posobiec: "We are going to make sure people can watch, it's open. Because people need to understand there are serious consequences for these things." Hegseth said he endorsed the decision by Trump to approve this manner of carrying out the execution, calling it a "no-brainer."

According to Al Jazeera, Hegseth also disclosed that the execution was scheduled for 1 p.m. Central Time on December 3 at Texas's Fort Hood base. The time was deliberately arranged to coincide with the exact moment when Hasan carried out his 2009 shooting — during which Hasan opened fire at the base's Soldier Readiness Processing Center, killing 13 people while shouting "Allahu akbar." Hasan was convicted by a military jury in August 2013 on 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder, and was sentenced to death.

A Pentagon official told Al Jazeera that Hasan's execution would be "broadcast live," adding that "more details would be released soon." It remains unclear which military members, officials, or observers would be present to witness the event on site. Under US Army regulations, the execution site should include at least two media outlets as witnesses.

The choice of execution method itself is rare. Hasan's execution required approval from Hegseth, with final authorization from Trump. According to Al Jazeera, the Trump administration added execution by firing squad as a legal method for federal executions in April of this year, alongside lethal gas and electrocution.

In US history, whether at the state or federal level, no execution has ever been televised. The last public execution took place on August 14, 1936, in Owensboro, Kentucky, more than 90 years ago. Since then, US execution procedures have moved behind closed doors, with the electric chair and subsequently lethal injection replacing the gallows and the crowds that once gathered around it. The last execution carried out by a US military firing squad was that of a World War II deserter in 1945, now 81 years ago.

When Al Jazeera asked about Hegseth's remarks and whether Trump himself would watch the execution, the White House directed the inquiry to the Pentagon.