Hegseth's plan to live-stream an execution by firing squad cancelled by his CiC

 

People who know better and care about this country apparently got to Trump, and so he cancelled Hegseth's ghoulish plan to make a public spectacle of the execution of the Fort Hood killer.

NYTimes:

“This episode highlights the impulsive and dysfunctional civilian leadership from the White House and U.S. Department of Defense,” said Senator Jack Reed of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee. “Secretary Hegseth deserves to be admonished for his lack of judgment, lack of strategy and poor communication — not just in regard to this one episode but throughout his disastrous tenure as secretary of defense.”

 Mr. Hegseth’s plan to livestream the killing of Mr. Hasan prompted dozens of retired admirals, generals and other officers to publish an open letter opposing the plan.8 

 “Livestreaming this execution would clearly violate the basic human dignity of the condemned prisoner,” they wrote on Wednesday. “It turns what should be the solemn and grave punishment of a member of our society for committing the most serious crimes into a carnival for the enjoyment of voyeurs and spectators.”8 

 “This type of exploitative broadcasting — that debases human dignity — will taint the honor of the military that employs it, and a nation that allows it,” they added. 

 From someone who knows more about army regulations than Secretary of Defense Hegseth: 

"Perhaps a better reason for canceling the idea of live streaming the execution, the president could’ve decided to follow military regulations in the first place.

 Who is permitted to witness a military execution? Under Army Regulation 190-55, paragraph 2-5, authorized witnesses include: 

1. The commandant of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks and designated military officials. 

2. Members of the execution team and necessary security personnel. 

3. The condemned prisoner's attorney, if requested. 

4. A military chaplain or other authorized clergy. 

5. At least two selected news media representatives (without audio recording or filming equipment). 

6. Members of the condemned prisoner's family, if requested. 

7. Authorized representatives of victims and their families. Also, the regulation expressly prohibits anyone under age 18 from witnessing an execution.

The latter prohibition, of course, would have been blatantly violated with live streaming, which would have included streaming to the handheld devices held by children and teens. 

 And, of course, one might’ve thought that the commander-in-chief would’ve asked for the rules before first agreeing to live streaming. But Mr. Trump doesn’t believe in attending to such pesky details, even though he is the commander and chief." --Tom Debley, Walnut Creek, CA

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The fact that this live-streaming of an execution was even considered and that many MAGA were salivating over being able to watch this gruesome spectacle shows what we've become in the Era of Trump. 

Shameful. Disgusting.