Trump makes u-turn on live broadcast
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 15th that he will carry out the execution by firing squad of the Fort Hood shooter but will no more be a live broadcast. Trump stated this on his social media platform ‘Truth Social’ that morning, saying, “He will be executed by firing squad as scheduled, but this will not be broadcast live.” However, he added, “Immediate family members of the victims can witness the execution in person if they wish,” and “They deserve to witness the realization of justice.” This decision came immediately after the release of a Washington Post (WP)·Ipsos poll showing overwhelming opposition to a live broadcast.
Trump approved the execution by firing squad earlier this month of Nidal Malik Hasan, a Muslim American sentenced to death for killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, a U.S. military base in Texas, the state. Pete Hegseth, the War Department secretary, had announced plans to broadcast the execution live, but criticism has since grown within the U.S., with even conservative circles voicing opposition. Vice President J D Vance stated, “Even if it is broadcast live, I will not watch it,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concern that “the footage could be exploited for terrorist propaganda.” The WP·Ipsos poll released that day showed that eight out of ten people opposed the live broadcast. AP reported that Trump withdrew the plan to broadcast the execution live due to bipartisan opposition in Congress and public criticism.
Trump, however, referred to Hasan as a “traitor” and a “wicked and vicious individual,” noting that he killed 13 people, including a pregnant female soldier and her unborn child, and seriously injured 32 innocent people. He continued, “I thought that broadcasting the execution could have a strong deterrent effect by allowing the world to witness how the U.S. deals with terrorists and trash like Hasan,” adding, “However, many good and well-meaning people would not want to see him die through a live broadcast or any visual means.”
At a luncheon hosted at the White House that day for police officers, firefighters, and border patrol agents, Trump stated, “I am reinstating the death penalty for those who kill police officers or law enforcement personnel,” adding, “If someone shoots and kills a firefighter climbing a ladder, they will receive the death penalty, not be released after about three months.” In a campaign speech in Arizona the previous day, Trump also mentioned the death penalty, stating that “In my view, the leaker of military operation information against Iran should be executed by firing squad.”
Credit: MSN
