WASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s proposal to livestream the planned execution of Nidal Hasan has triggered a debate over punishment, religious belief and the use of the U.S. military to advance an administration’s agenda. Hasan, a former Army major and violent Islamist extremist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 in the 2009 Fort Hood attack. His execution by firing squad is scheduled for Dec. 3. Hegseth said last week that the public should be able to watch, arguing that people need to understand the consequences of such attacks. Whether a livestream will happen remains uncertain: President Donald Trump said Tuesday, “We’re looking at it,” while Vice President JD Vance has said he would not watch. Some religious scholars say the proposal reflects views found within the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, or CREC, with which Hegseth is affiliated. Julie Ingersoll, a University of North Florida religion professor who studies the religious right, said the group broadly supports capital punishment, including punishments described in the Hebrew Bible that members believe remain applicable today. “The religious community from which Hegseth comes is very comfortable, shall we say, with the death penalty,” Ingersoll said. She added that publicly raising the idea can shift the boundaries of what people consider acceptable. That interpretation is disputed. Matthew Taylor, a visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Center on Faith and Justice, described the livestream proposal as outside the mainstream of American Christianity, including much of the religious right. He warned that Hegseth could be using his position at the Pentagon to promote a specific religious and political outlook. The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication. The proposal has also drawn objections from faith leaders. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who serves Catholics in the U.S. military, criticized the plan and said Catholic personnel assigned to a firing squad should seek to be excused. Joshua Salaam, president of the Association of Muslim Chaplains, questioned whether Hasan is being treated differently because of his faith, saying many Muslims would see religious identity as a factor. Hegseth’s association with the CREC and his past public references to the Crusades have added to the scrutiny. Ingersoll said some Christian nationalist groups embrace “dominionism,” a belief that Christians have a biblical mandate to shape government and society according to their religious principles. That is a description of the movement’s outlook, not a position shared by Christians generally. The idea of televising executions has also surfaced beyond Hegseth’s church. In a 2024 podcast, the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk argued that executions should be public and televised, and suggested corporate sponsorship could help raise money for public coffers. For critics, the immediate question is whether the government will broadcast Hasan’s execution. The larger concern, Taylor said, is that a senior defense official’s proposal could make an extraordinary practice seem normal and establish a precedent within the military. Salaam cautioned that turning an execution into public viewing could affect the broader community, including children.