DHS Secretary Mullin Defends Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter's Execution on Face the Nation: No Sympathy for Hasan
On Sunday, October 11, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin appeared on CBS's "Face the Nation" to defend the Pentagon's plan to publicly livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, saying "no one has to watch it" and that he sees no "elevated risk" to U.S. security. It was the first time a cabinet-level official had publicly defended the controversial plan on a national interview program.
The Pentagon announced last week that former Army major and psychiatrist Nidal Malik Hasan will be executed by firing squad on December 3, with the execution streamed live to the public. It will be the first U.S. military execution since 1961. Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 in a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. A military jury convicted him in 2013 on 45 counts of premeditated murder and attempted premeditated murder and sentenced him to death. Wounded during his arrest, Hasan has used a wheelchair ever since.
Mullin pushed back when host Margaret Brennan asked whether livestreaming the execution could inspire extremists or turn Hasan into a martyr: "I think people need to understand, if you attack America, we will come after you and we will make sure that the punishment fits the crime." Asked whether the broadcast could pose a national security threat, he said: "First of all, no one has to watch it if they don't choose to." Mullin said he has "no sympathy" for Hasan: "I give absolutely zero thought to the way that this man dies. My job as secretary of homeland security is to protect the homeland, and that's what we do." He tied the decision to President Trump, calling him "the commander in chief of the country" who "does a phenomenal job" and is "restoring American values."
The announcement has drawn bipartisan backlash. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) urged the Pentagon to reverse the "gruesome decision," saying there is "no need to livestream any execution" and warning it would hand "this individual, who deserves no further notoriety, the martyrdom he seeks." The United Nations also said a public livestream would amount to cruel treatment.
Background: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the livestream plan last week; GSM previously reported that Trump said he would make the final decision on whether to approve broadcasting the execution. Mullin's Sunday appearance marks the first time a Trump cabinet secretary has defended the plan on national television.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 国土安全部长马克韦恩·穆林官方肖像，公有领域（Wikimedia Commons，美国国土安全部，Tia Dufour 摄）
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