Former Oklahoma Senator and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin is defending the Trump administration's plans to livestream the military execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan.
"No one has to watch it if they don't choose to. I follow President Trump. He's the commander and chief of the country and he does a phenomenal job," Mullin said in an interview with CBS News's "Face the Nation" on Sunday.
Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said he plans to livestream Hasan's execution by firing squad, a plan the Pentagon later confirmed.
In 2009, Hasan shot and killed 13 people and injured more than 30 others at Fort Hood in Texas. In 2013, he was convicted of 45 counts of premeditated and attempted murder and sentenced to death.
CBS News's Margaret Brennan asked Mullin if livestreaming the execution could make Hassan a "martyr to his cause" or pose a "risk to the homeland" by inspiring extremists.
"I don't see an elevated risk at this point at all because of this," Mullin replied. "People need to understand if you attack America, we will come after you and we will make sure that the punishment fits the crime."
Democratic U.S. lawmakers generally oppose the livestream, and several Republicans have also criticized the move. On Friday, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) urged Hegseth to reverse the decision.
"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," Murkowski wrote in a social media post.
Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota) said in a statement that the death penalty is not entertainment.
"Publicizing the execution of religious extremists provides exactly what terrorists crave: an audience. It converts the most consequential punishment a government can impose into a public spectacle," Cramer wrote.
Vice President JD Vance said he doesn't know if the livestream will actually happen, and he will not be watching it if it does. President Trump said he generally supports the livestream but hasn't yet decided whether it will take place.
Mullin, formerly a U.S. Senator representing Oklahoma, was officially confirmed as the DHS secretary in March of this year. He said he gives zero thought to the way Hasan dies and said Trump is "restoring American values."
The execution is scheduled for Dec. 3 and will be the first military execution in over six decades. The United States has not held a public execution since the 1930s.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
