Pete Hegseth branded ‘deeply unwell’ as GOP and Dem critics pile on over livestream execution: ‘Obscene medieval spectacle’

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing bipartisan backlash, including demands from Senator Mark Kelly that he be removed, after saying the coming execution of Nidal Malik Hasan will be open to public viewing. The Pentagon has told The Independent that the December 3 firing squad killing at Fort Hood will be streamed live, with more information to follow.

Hasan, now 56, was an Army psychiatrist and major when he attacked the Texas base in 2009, leaving 13 people dead and 32 wounded. A military jury found him guilty on all counts, and he received a death sentence in 2013. He has acknowledged the shooting and uses a wheelchair after being shot by police. Hegseth proposed the method, and President Donald Trump signed off earlier this month. Hegseth said no service member had faced a firing squad since World War II, and dismissed a question about final requests.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis and Representative Austin Scott said they back the sentence but oppose broadcasting it, comparing it to practices in Iran, Afghanistan and among jihadists. Democratic Senators Chris Murphy and John Ossoff were also sharply critical. Representative Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, welcomed the plan.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Independent’s reporting. Read the full story at The Independent →