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submitted 16 hours ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

Donald Trump and his advisers are debating whether to call off plans to livestream the firing squad execution of the Fort Hood shooter, with Trump having remarked privately that he did not initially know that Nidal Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN.

The president was not aware that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was announcing last week that the administration planned to let the public watch the execution, the sources said, and was not sure what to make of it at first. Trump was, however, firmly behind the decision to execute Hasan via firing squad, multiple officials told CNN, and he’s often defended it in public.

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[-] orioler25@lemmy.world 5 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

Oh, this is genuinely a problem for them. They want to normalize the kind of violence that targets vulnerable groups disproportionately, such as disabled people, but they need a "deserving" victim to remain palletable enough to the liberal masses so that they can gradually normalize this kind of public violence. But, now if they pull out of this after international pressure, it'll look weak and make it even harder to try again.

[-] SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 hour ago

Isn't this the guy who sent a gallows to Washington on Jan6th to hang Mike Pence?

[-] bedwyr@piefed.ca 4 points 6 hours ago

Ha ha , what a bitch.

Hegseth, the greasy bitch that runs the department of something that is not war, but is, is on his way out. He will be replaced very soon, bet on it.

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world 3 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

He's such a chump. It's just insane to think about. A weekend morning show host for a pure propaganda network gets promoted to... United States Secretary of Defense?

Like who is writing this shit, is reality slipping and out of material? It feels like late season decline.

[-] rabber@lemmy.ca 36 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

lol just imagine firing squad unloading on a guy in a wheelchair tho

[-] technocrit@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 10 minutes ago

History of USA in a nutshell.

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world 2 points 1 hour ago

USA! USA! USA!

[-] orioler25@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

That's obviously the problem. They want to normalize the kind of violence that targets vulnerable groups disproportionately, such as disabled people, but they need a "deserving" victim to remain palletable enough to the liberal masses so that they can gradually normalize this kind of violence.

[-] jjagaimo@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

The current manual (which would probably be revised since it was last updated in the 1940s) calls for tying them up on a pole so they'd have to crucify him to get him standing upright

The officer charged with execution will... Cause a post with proper rings placed therein for securing the prisoner in an upright position to be erected at the place of execution.... After a reasonable time, he will order the sergeant of the execution party to secure the prisoner to the post and to place the hood over his head. Then the medical officer will place the target over the prisoner's hear

[-] altphoto@lemmy.today 3 points 10 hours ago

The local Catholic bishop is telling the Catholick troops to not be part of that. Then they figure out the guy can't walk! I can't imagine how that must feel. To be the guys that have to go wack a man on a wheelchair cuz some rich asshole wants you to do that for entertainment.

And still, more than zero people show up to his rallies. Wow! Those people must be super nice to know personally.

[-] MolochHorridus@piefed.social 1 points 9 hours ago

In reality there is no difference if you’re standing or not.

[-] DaddleDew@lemmy.world 118 points 16 hours ago

Showing the execution of a wheelchair bound person would be DEI and Trump can't possibly have that.

[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 97 points 16 hours ago

I've been telling people, this is to normalize public execution for "treason" the main demographic trump cared about was a soldier firing on other soldiers.

A big strong man standing there is a propaganda message.

But trumps never consider injured soldiers as soldiers, he "only likes winners".

So dude being in a wheelchair wouldnt send the message the fascists want to send; that it doesn't matter how tough you are they'll get you.

It's always just been about the optics of it, and using it to normalize political violence. That's why he never faced a terrorism charge, they want the label to be "traitor" because that's anyone not for the current administration.

Terrorists need to take action or at least plan actual attacks. They want to be able to go after anyone who doesn't say they're stunning and brave.

[-] CrimeIsLegalNow@ani.social 14 points 12 hours ago

I think it's because he can't stir up Islamaphobia without a scary disheveled terrorist to execute and realized no one would ever consider a disabled prisoner a threat anymore but sure.

[-] baddu@lemmy.world 65 points 15 hours ago

Kind of a weird place to draw the line when you routinely rape children, but okay

[-] Diplomjodler@feddit.org 7 points 7 hours ago

He hasn't livestreamed that. Yet.

[-] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 15 points 13 hours ago

And then it was Tuesday

[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 26 points 14 hours ago

One thing trump is great at, seeing how this is going to be a bad look.

And even after Hegseth posted on X on Thursday confirming that the Pentagon planned to livestream the execution, Trump polled several of his advisers and allies about how to proceed.

It was during the those conversations that Trump learned Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down — he was shot in the back by law enforcement during the 2009 shooting at Ford Hood — and that he now uses a wheelchair, the sources said, which made showing the execution publicly less palatable to the president.

[-] Malica@lemmy.zip 18 points 14 hours ago

I find it ludicrous that he even thinks there's anything existing in the universe that could make him look worse than he already does. Alas, narcissists will always find a way.

[-] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 9 points 13 hours ago

The magic of the Trump machine is that he always finds a way to say the quiet part a little louder.

Executing a wheelchair bound man as a media spectacle would be one more exclamation point on how American criminal justice functions.

[-] FaceDeer@fedia.io 25 points 15 hours ago

Every time I think Trump can't come off as more pathetic he still manages to surprise.

[-] PattyMcB@lemmy.world 19 points 15 hours ago

TACO Tuesday again?

[-] nkat2112@sh.itjust.works 6 points 14 hours ago

Ummm...

I'm ashamed to admit that I wonder if someone posted this on the Not The Onion topic.

[-] HocEnimVeni@lemmy.world 4 points 14 hours ago

Be the change you want to see in the world

[-] anarchy79@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

I am the change I want to see in the world.

And I ain't seeing shit.

[-] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 5 points 14 hours ago

Pfft what a goddamned clown show. The only constant is the bar keeps sinking lower underneath the floor.

[-] bedwyr@piefed.ca 1 points 6 hours ago

The bar is heading for the fucking marianas trench, and might drill into the earth from there.

There is no bottom to this, unless we stop it.

this post was submitted on 13 Oct 2026
170 points (97.8% liked)

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