“One of the worst killers”: Trump calls death penalty “very worthy way” to execute Fort Hood shooter

WASHINGTON DC: US President Donald Trump on Friday (local time) described the death penalty as “a very worthy way” of executing former US Army Major Nidal Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, saying he did not care how the convicted shooter was executed as long as he was put to death.

When asked whether he wanted Hasan’s execution to be live-streamed and whether he was concerned that the video could be used as propaganda to radicalise others, Trump said the decision would be made by the authorities but confirmed that Hasan would be executed by firing squad.

“Well, they’ll make a determination about that, but he will be killed. He will be, through firing squad. He killed 13, 14 people, badly wounded 20-some-odd people, and he’s totally nuts. So, I really don’t care how he goes, as long as he goes.

And I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going,” Trump told reporters outside the White House before heading to Syracuse, New York, for the midterm election campaign.

When reporters asked whether he would watch the execution, Trump described Hasan as one of the worst killers.
“He’s one of the worst killers. He walked into a room, he started killing everybody,” Trump said.

The remarks come after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the execution would be carried out by a firing squad of soldiers at Fort Hood on December 3 at 1 pm, the same time the 2009 attack took place.