Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) on Friday called for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's immediate ouster, citing the Pentagon chief's plan to livestream the military execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Kelly argued that publicizing the death by firing squad would align the United States with the execution practices of adversaries like Iran and the Taliban, rather than upholding American values.
Hasan, a former Army major, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens more in a 2009 attack on a Texas military base. His execution is scheduled for Dec. 3, which would mark the first military execution in over six decades. The Pentagon's decision to broadcast the event has drawn sharp rebukes from both parties.
“There is no doubt that Nidal Hasan is a murderer who took the lives of 13 people and injured dozens. He should face justice for that. But a public execution? Here in the United States?” Kelly wrote on X, the social media platform. He stressed that the administration should be “delivering for the American people,” not “glorifying violence.”
Kelly, a retired Navy captain, has previously called for Hegseth's resignation. He pointed to the livestream plan and Hegseth's broader “maximum lethality” campaign as further justification. Kelly is currently suing the Pentagon over its decision to censure him and lower his retirement rank, after he appeared in a video encouraging troops to refuse illegal orders. Defense officials argued that Kelly's remarks violated military rules by urging defiance of lawful directives.
The criticism, however, has not been confined to Democrats. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) compared the plan to the decline of the Roman Empire, warning that “a civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment.” He urged Hegseth to reconsider, saying that “the victims deserve justice administered with solemnity. Broadcasting a death diminishes us and is not an effective deterrent.”
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) called the plan “beyond disgusting,” while Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) suggested it could mimic ISIS-style killings. Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also weighed in, describing the publicization of capital punishment as a “barbaric promotion of a culture of death.”
Kelly concluded his denunciation by invoking former President Ronald Reagan, arguing that the plan contradicts the nation's character “at our best.” He quoted Reagan: “compassion, vision, and a fundamental sense of decency are the hallmarks of our national character.” Kelly added, “That is not what we've seen from this President and his administration. We need to find that again.”
The controversy comes amid broader scrutiny of Hegseth's leadership, including his recent decision to honor a carrier crew after a lengthy deployment. But the execution broadcast plan has become a flashpoint, with Tillis's sharp rebuke highlighting the bipartisan unease. As the Dec. 3 date approaches, pressure is mounting on the administration to abandon the livestream and handle the execution with the solemnity that such a grave act demands.
