Cautious after Fort Hood massacre, forceful against execution livestream: Murkowski challenges Hegseth

By SUZANNE DOWNING

Oct. 9, 2026 – Sen. Lisa Murkowski is urging the Pentagon to reverse its plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood mass murderer Nidal Malik Hasan, describing the decision as “gruesome” and comparing the practice to what Americans would expect from terrorists and dictators.

The Pentagon announced Thursday that Hasan’s execution by firing squad would be livestreamed. He is scheduled to be executed Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, the Texas military installation where he killed 13 people and wounded 32 others on Nov. 5, 2009. It would be the first US military execution since 1961. Officials said further broadcast details would follow.

Murkowski responded with an unequivocal condemnation:

“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. How we carry out justice matters just as much as the justice itself, so I urge the Pentagon to reverse this gruesome decision.”

Her forceful response to the proposed broadcast contrasts with the exceedingly cautious language she used the day after Hasan’s attack.

In her Nov. 6, 2009, statement, Murkowski expressed sympathy for the victims and their families, emphasized Alaska’s connection to the military community, and described the terroristic killings as a “senseless tragedy.”

“To have such an incident occur at a military base on American soil is especially heartbreaking, and I await further details of the investigation so that we can take the necessary steps to try to keep such an event from happening again,” she said.

Heartbreaking.

Murkowski also cosponsored Senate Resolution 344, which expressed condolences for those killed and wounded and was adopted Nov. 6, 2009.

Condolences.

The difference in language is clear: In the immediate aftermath of the massacre, Murkowski awaited investigative findings. In response to the livestream announcement, she promptly delivered a judgment about the Pentagon’s decision. She equates Sec. of War Pete Hegseth to a terrorist and dictator.

Today, Hasan’s guilt and the terrorist nature of his attack have long been established.

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist and major, was convicted in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. During his trial, he described himself as a soldier who had switched sides.

Warning signs preceded Hasan’s attack by years. During his medical residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and subsequent fellowship, colleagues and supervisors raised concerns about his performance and increasingly outspoken Islamist extremism; two officers described him as a “ticking time bomb.”

An FBI inquiry nevertheless accepted his communications with radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as consistent with professional research and failed to identify the danger. A 2011 Senate investigation concluded that the Army and FBI had missed opportunities to intervene, describing the massacre as “the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001.”

In 2015, the Army determined that Hasan had communicated with a foreign terrorist organization before the attack and that his radicalization and actions could reasonably be considered inspired or motivated by that organization. That determination, following a change in federal law, enabled the awarding of Purple Hearts to military victims.

Hegseth has offered a rationale for making the execution public: demonstrating the consequences of such crimes.

He said the public should be able to watch because people need to understand there are “serious consequences for these types of things.”

The deterrence argument is that visible punishment could serve as a warning to others contemplating terrorist violence or attacks on their fellow service members. Whether broadcasting an execution would actually prevent another attack remains an unanswered question — always. Murkowski argues the opposite risk — that the footage would provide notoriety and help turn Hasan into a martyr.

Her criticism also comes with a history of opposition to Hegseth’s leadership.

On Jan. 23, 2025, Murkowski announced she was “unable to support” his nomination, citing concerns about his character and judgment, managerial experience, and past statements opposing women in combat. Her objections included allegations of misconduct and his admitted infidelity. Hegseth denied allegations.

Murkowski voted against advancing his nomination and against his confirmation. She joined Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky in opposing the final nomination alongside Democrats and independents. Vice President JD Vance broke the 50–50 tie on Jan. 24, confirming Hegseth by a final vote of 51–50.

Now, the senator who opposed putting Hegseth in charge of the Pentagon is challenging his judgment once again.

The dispute concerns how the public should witness the punishment for a terrorist attack committed by an officer against people at his own military installation.

Hegseth’s stated rationale emphasizes consequences. No one will be forced to tune into the execution, although it’s likely that many, including soldiers who have served at Fort Hood, will tune in.

What are your thoughts about the public execution of a terrorist who killed 13 Americans and wounded scores of others?