Pete Hegseth’s announcement that former US Army major Nidal Hasan will be executed by a firing squad and that this will be televised, was made during an interview with far-right commentator, Jack Posobiec.

In 2024, Posobiec took part in Charlie Kirk’s weekly panel discussion, ThoughtCrime:

Charlie Kirk: "This is my problem with the death penalty, it takes too long, too many appeals. It should be quick, it should be public, it should be televised" https://t.co/GPJTiwQivI

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) October 9, 2026

Posobiec declined to ask Hegseth whether he shared Kirk’s view that executions should be viewed by children.

Newsweek, reported on the ThoughtCrime discussion:

Kirk, along with his co-hosts Jack Posobiec, Tyler Bowyer and Blake Neff, continued to discuss at what age should children watch the public executions, with one co-host pointing out as young as 12 years old.

“I think maybe age 12, sixth grade or so when you are old enough… ” Neff said.

While Bowyer pointed out that it should be at an age when someone “can embrace the meaning” of the execution.

In response, Kirk said, “I think it should be taken in a holy way and I don’t mean holy in a bad way, I mean that this is heavy.

In addition, Kirk asked whether crime would go up or down if children were to watch public executions, “Here’s a question for anyone that might be not persuaded. Would crime go up or down?”

Bowyer said, “It would go way down,” with Kirk then asking, “So why is this even a question?”

Former Trump supporter, Pastor Darrell Scott, said at the time that Kirk was attempting to inspire a new generation of the “Hitler youth.”

JD Vance, his close relationship with Kirk notwithstanding, cast doubt on whether the Hegseth spectacle — a man in a wheelchair being executed on live TV — will go forward. BBC News reports:

Talking with reporters, Vance expressed doubt that it would happen as planned, saying: “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen”.

He added, that “if it’s through live stream, I’m not going to be watching it”.

Vance didn’t indicate whether he would let his children watch.

Kirk’s death penalty advocacy obviously did nothing to protect his own life.

Likewise, the prospect of execution did nothing to deter Hasan. Indeed, Lt Col Kris Poppe, Hasan’s lead court-appointed standby attorney, told the judge during his trial that it was “clear his goal is to remove impediments or obstacles to the death penalty and is working toward a death penalty.”

It should be axiomatic for anyone capable of stringing two thoughts together that executions never have and never will deter those who seek martyrdom.

Whether public executions watched by children might be effective in inspiring the creation of another Hitler youth is a much more serious question.

Will Stephen Miller join this debate? Remember, he opposed the killing of Saddam Hussein and his henchmen: “I think the ideal solution would be to cut off their fingers.”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to kill them entirely, we’re not a barbaric people, we respect life. Therefore torture is the way to go. Because tortured people can live. Torture is a celebration of life and human dignity,” the then-17-year-old continued.

And so it goes, as the self-proclaimed opponents of barbarianism, reveal their own barbaric intentions.