U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth is facing fierce backlash following his announcement that the execution of former Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan would be livestreamed for public viewing.

Hasan was court-martialed in 2009 for shooting and killing 13 service members at the military base in Fort Hood, Texas, which resulted in a death sentence. The Pentagon announced that he would face death by firing squad, which Trump had approved earlier this week. It would be the first execution to be carried out by the military since 1961, while last public execution in the United States was in 1936.

American social media platforms will have to deal with the question of livestreaming the execution, since the live broadcasting of executions is strictly prohibited on American platforms.

Republican and Democratic lawmakers and former officeholders united in their vociferous condemnation of returning to America’s past of public executions.

“Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting. Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America,” wrote Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) on X.

Criticism also emerged from the far-right, with Joe Kent, former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned in protest over the Iran war, joining the chorus of denunciations.

“There is no doubt Hassan deserves to die. His crimes were demonic and unforgivable—death by firing squad is borderline too merciful. But broadcasting his execution is beneath the dignity & decency of our nation,” posted Kent.

“Americans will use violence if and when justified, but we do not rejoice in it. Kill him swiftly & silently,” he added.

“Streaming his execution is not just a stain on our morality—it also gives the terrorists free propaganda that they will use to radicalize & recruit more terrorists like Hassan,” he declared.

“There is a reason why we treat the meting out of justice with the seriousness it demands,” said Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.). “We are a democratic country and should take the rule of law seriously, not turn it into a spectacle.”

“We can seek justice in this country without glorifying violence and turning an execution into a grotesque public spectacle,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) wrote on X.

“What this criminal did was abhorrent and must be punished—but we as a country cannot condone livestreaming a man’s death for entertainment. We are long past the days of public hangings in the town square. Kids watch what our leaders do and say, is this kind of bloodshed really what we want them seeing?” she added.

“The Pentagon must revoke this decision immediately,” she demanded.

Some Republicans voiced their support for the move, however.

“Excellent. Public execution is what this terrorist deserves,” said Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) on X. “We will be watching.”