Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has announced his intention for Nidal Hasan’s execution to be open to the public. This would mark the first public execution in the United States in nearly 90 years.
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring over 30 others during a 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas. President Donald Trump approved the execution by firing squad set for December 3.
Hegseth discussed the execution in an interview with Jack Posobiec of Real America’s Voice aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, stating, It’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad. We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public.
The exact meaning of public remains unclear, as it is unknown if the general public will be allowed to attend or if it will be livestreamed.
The last publicly recognized execution in the U.S. took place in 1936, with the hanging of Rainey Bethea in Kentucky. Newsweek has reached out to the Pentagon for further details, while the White House directed inquiries to the Department of Defense.
Retired Colonel John Galligan, a former military judge who has represented Hasan, highlighted Army Regulation 190-55, which specifies approved witnesses at military executions. It directs who is able to be present and that does not include the ‘general public’ — even the media is restricted,
Galligan informed Newsweek via email. No surprise that such an ill-informed statement may have been made.
This developing story will have updates as more information becomes available.