Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) on Friday publicly urged the Pentagon to reverse its decision to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, writing that such a broadcast is something she would expect “from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America.” The statement from the Alaska Republican adds a sitting GOP senator to a growing bipartisan backlash against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to make the first U.S. military execution in more than 65 years a public event.
Murkowski posted her statement on X at 3:23 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026.
The full post read:
“There is no need to livestream any execution, including this one. I would expect this from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America. It would give this individual, who deserves no further notoriety, the martyrdom he seeks. How we carry out justice matters just as much as the justice itself, so I urge the Pentagon to reverse this gruesome decision.”
She attached her post directly to an Associated Press report headlined “Pentagon says the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will be livestreamed.” The AP reported that the Pentagon confirmed the livestream on Thursday, a revelation about the plans for the first military execution in more than 65 years after Hegseth had described the event as “public.”
What Hegseth Said
The controversy began Wednesday, when Hegseth spoke to a conservative television outlet about the execution. “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public,” he said. Pentagon officials clarified a day later that the execution would be livestreamed and that more details would follow.
Hegseth was also asked Wednesday whether Hasan had made any final requests or reached out to the Trump administration. “Don’t care. We’ll see him on Dec. 3,” the Pentagon chief replied. The Army announced this week that the execution would take place at Fort Hood on Dec. 3.
The Case Murkowski Made
Murkowski’s post makes three distinct arguments. She said livestreaming any execution is unnecessary, that the practice is associated with terrorists and dictators rather than the United States, and that broadcasting this particular execution would hand the condemned man the “martyrdom he seeks.”
That last point tracks material from Hasan’s own trial. The AP reported that Hasan leaked documents to journalists during the proceedings showing he told military mental health workers he could “still be a martyr” if executed. His standby lawyers concluded at trial that his only goal was to receive a death sentence, after he rested his case without calling a single witness and made no closing argument.
The Attack and the Sentence
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist who held the rank of major, walked into a medical building at Fort Hood on Nov. 5, 2009, where soldiers were waiting for immunizations and medical clearance for deployment. He shouted “Allahu akbar” and opened fire, killing 13 people and wounding 32. He was convicted in a 2013 court-martial and sentenced to death, and the shooting left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Murkowski’s 2009 Statement on Fort Hood
Murkowski addressed the attack on Nov. 6, 2009, the day after it happened, in a statement posted on her Senate website. “My heart goes out to the victims of the horrible mass shooting at Fort Hood as well as their families,” she said. “To have such an incident occur at a military base on American soil is especially heartbreaking, and I await further details of the investigation so that we can take the necessary steps to try to keep such an event from happening again.”
The 2009 statement focused on the victims and on the pending investigation. Friday’s post addresses a different question, which is how the government should carry out the sentence. It does not dispute Hasan’s conviction or the sentence itself, and it describes him as an individual who “deserves no further notoriety.”
Bipartisan Pushback
Murkowski is not the only Republican to object. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) wrote on X that he supports Hasan’s death sentence but called a livestream “beyond disgusting,” adding, “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do.” Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) also opposed the broadcast, warning that it risks turning capital punishment into entertainment. The top Democrats on the House and Senate Armed Services committees issued statements condemning the plan.
Vice President JD Vance expressed doubt Friday that the livestream would happen. “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” he told reporters, adding that if it is livestreamed, “I’m not going to be watching it.” President Donald Trump, who approved the firing squad on Monday, said Friday he “absolutely” approved of the execution but had not made a determination on showing it by livestream.
Trump’s Earlier Remarks on Public Executions
Trump has previously criticized public executions abroad. Before launching the Iran war on Feb. 28, he cited the possibility of protesters being killed by the Iranian government as a rationale for military action. “We’ve been told that the killing in Iran is stopping,” Trump told reporters on Jan. 14. “It’s stopping, and there’s no plan for executions.” The White House on Thursday referred questions about the livestream to the Pentagon.
Murkowski’s Record With Hegseth
Murkowski has opposed Hegseth before. In January 2025 she became the first Republican senator to announce she would vote against his confirmation as defense secretary. “I cannot in good conscience support his nomination,” she said in a lengthy statement, adding that his past career roles “do not demonstrate to me that he is prepared for such immense responsibility.” She said allegations and admissions about his personal conduct “demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,” and that “these behaviors starkly contrast the values and discipline expected of servicemembers.” Hegseth denied the allegations of sexual assault and financial mismanagement. He was confirmed despite her vote.
Legal Experts Weigh In
Legal scholars quoted by the AP offered mixed reactions. Deborah Denno, a death penalty expert at Fordham University, said a livestream could make the process “much more transparent.” Elisabeth Semel of UC Berkeley Law’s Death Penalty Clinic said she did not recall a situation in which a televised execution “was instigated by the government,” and that it “raises serious questions about what is the motivation of the government.” Brenner Fissell of Villanova Law said that “there’s a perceived masculinity and military-ness to firing squads that is part of the aura Hegseth is trying to emphasize.”
Why It Matters
The execution would be the first by the U.S. military since April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was hanged. Hegseth has said the military has not executed a service member by firing squad since World War II. The plan also follows the botched lethal injection of Christa Pike in Tennessee, which prompted that state’s governor to halt further executions this year and order an independent review, and which has renewed questions about how the death penalty is carried out. The United Nations has condemned the livestream plan, saying it would breach international law.
What Comes Next
The Pentagon has said more details about the livestream will follow, and the execution remains scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood. Hasan could file a habeas petition in civilian court that could significantly delay the proceedings. Eugene R. Fidell, a visiting lecturer at Yale Law School, said such a challenge “might outlast the current administration.” Murkowski’s post leaves the next step with the Pentagon: she is asking it to reverse a decision that, as of Friday evening, the department had not retracted.