Vice President J.D. Vance expressed uncertainty about whether the Pentagon will proceed with its plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan in December. When asked by reporters on October 20, 2026, Vance stated he did not think it would happen but acknowledged that if it were to go ahead, "I'm not going to be watching it." The article focuses on Vance’s reluctance and the broader controversy surrounding the livestreaming of Hasan's execution, which has drawn criticism from religious leaders and lawmakers alike.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-10,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Vice President JD Vance expressed doubt on Friday about the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the December execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others in a 2009 attack. When asked about Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's confirmation of the livestream, Vance said he doesn't think it will actually happen and noted that if it does, "I’m not going to be watching it." The plan has drawn criticism from various quarters, including religious leaders who view it as promoting a culture of death. Republican opposition is growing, with some lawmakers joining in against the proposal, while President Trump remains noncommittal on whether he supports livestreaming the execution.
Written for “Pentagon Execution Livestream Plan Ba…” on 2026-10-10,
grounded in this article and the 68 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 3 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 69904: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-10
Vice-President J.D. Vance cast doubt on Friday (October 20, 2026) on whether the Pentagon will livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan in December but told reporters that if it is livestreamed, “I'm not going to be watching it.”
asserted
I → cast → it
The Republican V-P said, “I don't know that that's actually going to happen,” when asked about the plans that the Pentagon confirmed on Thursday (October 8, 2026).
asserted
Pentagon → say → Thursday
But Mr. Vance then tried to set aside the controversy over the plans for a public execution and said Hasan's crimes should not be forgotten.
asserted
crimes → try → execution
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting spree at the military base in 2009.
asserted
Hasan → convict → 2009
“So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people,” Mr. Vance said.
asserted
Vance → hope → people
“Now, that said, I mean, look, if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it,” he added.
asserted
he → say → it
Mr. Vance is a convert to the Catholic Church, which has long opposed capital punishment.
asserted
which → oppose → punishment
President Donald Trump had endorsed Hasan's execution by firing squad during a Wednesday (October 7, 2026) political event in Texas, suggesting “he deserves it.”
However, Mr. Trump was noncommittal when asked on Friday (October 9, 2026) whether he wanted the execution livestreamed.
asserted
execution → endorse → Friday
"Well, they're making a determination about that,” Mr. Trump told reporters before travelling to a political event in Syracuse, New York.
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Trump → make → Syracuse
But he again endorsed the firing squad as the method.
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he → endorse → method
“He will be killed.
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He → kill → ?
He will be, through firing squad,” he told reporters.
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he → tell → reporters
“I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes.
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he → care → ?
And I think the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him.”
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penalty → think → him
Mr. Trump did not answer when asked if he would watch a livestreamed execution.
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he → answer → execution
Earlier on Friday morning (October 9, 2026), the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the U.S. government's decision to livestream Hasan's execution.
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head → condemn → execution
“It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War's decision to publicly livestream the execution,” Archbishop Paul S Coakley, president of the conference, said in a statement.
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Coakley → learn → statement
He added that the decision was “a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.”
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decision → add → death
Mr. Trump approved the execution by firing squad days after a failed attempt to execute Christa Pike by lethal injection late last month pushed Tennessee's governor to halt further executions in that state this year.
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Trump → approve → state
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the military hasn't executed a service member by firing squad since World War II.
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military → say → II
The last military execution took place on April 13, 1961, when Army Pvt. John Bennett was executed by hanging.
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Bennett → take → hanging
From Congress, lawmakers from both parties, Republicans and Democrats, widely condemned what they called the “gruesome” and “disgusting” decision to livestream the execution and implored the Pentagon to reverse course.
asserted
they → condemn → course
The Aporia
