Pete Hegseth Responds After Trump Rejects His Livestream Execution Plan

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will get the death he "deserves" at his public execution come December.

Hegseth made the statement on Tuesday when traveling to Ohio and Wisconsin as part of his Arsenal of Freedom tour. They are the first public comments Hegseth has made since President Donald Trump rejected his plans to livestream Hasan's public execution.

""I agree with the president, we spoke about it at length, positively," Hegseth said on Tuesday when asked by a reporter if he was disappointed that the execution wouldn't be livestreamed. "We both, you know, recognize that death by firing squad is what Nidal Hasan, a terrorist, a traitor, deserves. He will get that. The families will observe it. And the point is there's a deterrent effect to that also, which follows through whether it's livestreamed or not. So, I fully support the president's approach."

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others in a 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood, Texas. Trump has approved his execution by firing squad for December 3. The Army has scheduled the execution for 1 p.m. at Fort Hood.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.