John Doyle: If life has infinite value, then murderers must die
The death penalty remains a deeply divisive issue among Christians. Some hold that it is a biblically justifiable punishment, proven by Old Testament endorsements of capital punishment for serious crimes and Romans 13’s affirmation of governmental authority. Others argue against it, pointing to New Testament teachings that emphasize mercy, forgiveness, and the sanctity of life.
This divide was most recently exemplified by the announcement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Nidal Hasan — the radicalized Muslim U.S. Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009 — would be executed by firing squad in December, with initial plans to livestream the event.
Some Christians have condemned the planned execution — especially those initial livestream plans, which President Trump ultimately decided against. Others have publicly supported the public execution on biblical grounds.
BlazeTV host John Doyle, a Catholic, falls into the latter camp. On this episode of “The John Doyle Show,” he not only argues that Hasan should be publicly executed but also that “we should be killing criminals far more often, far more expediently, and far more legally and coolly.”
Doyle argues that conservatives who claim to stand on the principle that “life has infinite value” but oppose the death penalty are contradicting themselves.
“When you murder an innocent person, you have now taken from the world something of infinite value. The only way to approximate righting that wrong would be to take your life from you,” he explains.
“It's to say we can never repair what has been stolen. We can never bring it back. We can never make the balance sheet squared, but we can try; we can get close. And the only way that we can get close is actually taking from you something that is, of course, of infinite value, which is your life,” he continues. “That is the only thing we can do that can approximate justice. Anything less than that … basically says ‘human life doesn't actually have infinite value.”
Those who claim life has infinite value but oppose the death penalty, Doyle says, “have a kind of indignation behind their speaking that they never extend to the murder victims themselves.”
“They concede, ‘dude, yeah, of course murder's wrong. Of course terrorism is wrong’ … but then they go out of their way to use all of their influence and all of their power to basically make it as easy as possible for terrorists and murderers and so on to continue living their lives as they would without any kind of consequence,” he says.
In the next part of the episode, Doyle dives into the “theological weeds” of the Catholic faith when it comes to the death penalty. To hear his full breakdown, watch the episode above.
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Trump calls off livestreaming the execution of Fort Hood terrorist — and many Christians are expressing gratitude
The president says the execution of the Fort Hood terrorist attacker will not be public after all.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth had recommended the public execution by military firing squad of Nidal Hasan, the admitted terrorist killer of 13 people plus an unborn baby in the Nov. 2009 shooting near Killeen, Texas. The execution is scheduled for December 3.
'He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed.'
The decision to livestream the event was praised by many, but some took exception, including Catholic leaders and critics of capital punishment.
On Thursday President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that the execution will not be public.
"I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan," wrote the president, "but, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device. He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed."
He added that the execution can be viewed by the families of the victims if they choose to do so.
"They deserve to witness JUSTICE!" he concluded.
Among those critical of livestreaming the execution was Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who said the livestreaming video would become a recruiting tool for other terrorists. Vice President JD Vance said he would not watch the livestreamed execution.
"We live in a society that already diminishes death so much. I don’t want it on TikTok," said Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck, who went on to say livestreaming the execution would "rot our souls."
Many expressed gratitude that the president was willing to listen to others' voices and change his mind.
"Thanks to @POTUS for the right decision not to livestream the execution of the terrorist, Nidal M. Hasan, who unjustly murdered 14 people at Fort Hood. This decision at least stops us from taking a step deeper into the violent culture of death by exploiting Hasan and his victims’ survivors," responded Bishop Michael Olson of the Diocese of Fort Worth in Texas.
"This is clearly the right choice and President Trump should be commended for making it," replied theologian and academic Matthew Lee Anderson of Baylor University, an evangelical Protestant Christian.
"A great step in the right direction," responded Father Matthew P. Schneider, a Catholic priest and moral theologian.
"Thank you, Mr. President," wrote Father Aquinas Guilbeau, moral theologian and Dominican priest.
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"Trump overrides Hegseth to cancel live-stream of public firing squad execution. Sanity prevails momentarily," said Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).
Father Joshua J. Whitfield, a prominent Catholic priest and columnist who had said a public execution would have been "perverse," appeared to approve of the change as well.
An ABC News poll found that 53% of respondents approved of the execution of Nidal Hasan, but only 18% supported livestreaming the execution and 80% were opposed to it.
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First livestream of execution by firing squad might be scrapped — Trump and Vance aren't won over
The United States is about to make history as it prepares to televise the first-ever execution by firing squad. Former U.S. Army Major Nidal Hasan will be put to death this December for a heinous crime committed in 2009. But while the original plan was to show the event to the world, the Trump administration is locked in a debate that could take the execution off air before it even happens.
A formal execution has never been aired on TV in the United States. The most recent public execution happened in 1936 in Kentucky after Rainey Bethea raped and killed a 70-year-old woman. He was hanged for his crimes, and since the first public broadcast network didn’t arrive until several years later, the only way to witness the event was in person. Needless to say, we’re in uncharted waters.
The broadcast could be used against the United States.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth gave the green light for the public execution, telling Jack Posobiec in an interview, “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”
These “things” Hegseth refers to are the 13 U.S. Army members that Hasan murdered on November 5, 2009. Hasan was later charged and convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder. He was ultimately sentenced to death days later.
The execution will take place right back at the scene of the crime. On December 3, 2026, at 1 p.m. Central Time, Nidal Hasan will die at the hands of a firing squad. While lethal injection is usually the first option to carry out a humane death sentence, firing squads are still common in the U.S., with the latest execution taking place as recently as 2025.
The public execution of Nidal Hasan was meant to air on television and be available on streaming platforms in December. However, a new report reveals that the Trump administration is still debating the morality of putting a man to death in front of the entire world.
Vice President JD Vance has said he won't watch a livestreamed event, while Trump is reportedly cool to the streaming idea; according to ABC News, some within the administration fear that the broadcast could be used against the United States as anti-American propaganda or fuel for Islamic extremists, or that it could simply reflect poorly on the nation. The situation looks even worse considering Hasan was paralyzed during the murders in 2009, leaving him confined to a wheelchair. Visually, killing a disabled man on TV would not play well.
Despite internal discussions, the Pentagon insists that the execution will be carried out on air as planned. A list of supported TV channels and streaming services has not been finalized yet. However, some services have already pre-emptively barred the content from their platforms, including TikTok and Newsmax. Specific viewing details should be available as we get closer to the execution.
RELATED: The Fort Hood shooter is the ‘victim’ now as media compares execution to ‘lynchings’
In terms of the legality of the event, the FCC has strict laws that govern the content available on TV. Specifically, stations can’t display indecent or obscene material, nor can they propagate hoaxes or distort the news. One thing dubiously absent from regulatory scrutiny is violence. Violent content is protected on TV under free speech laws. That means a public execution is technically within the FCC’s rules.
Furthermore, FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has made no threats to get in the way. In fact, he left the final decision to air the execution to Hegseth. So as long as the Trump administration sorts out its internal disagreement, the event will be available for all to watch.
The only question now is: Should you watch it?
Legally, the death penalty is a just process sanctioned by 27 U.S. states and the federal government. At least some of biblical Scripture supports the death penalty as well. Genesis 9:6 states, “Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind." Spiritually — as in for the sake of your soul — it may be best not to tune in.
Just because the death penalty is legal and righteous doesn’t mean that it’s meant for the entire world to see. Watching someone’s life be taken siphons away a bit of one’s own soul in kind, and the spiritual trade-off isn’t worth the cost.
Without any more details, there is no way to know exactly how brutal the event will appear on TV. That said, the forceful end of a life is still a vicious death. Children definitely shouldn’t watch the event, and if you wish to protect your soul, you shouldn’t watch it either.
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The Fort Hood shooter is the ‘victim’ now as media compares execution to ‘lynchings’
The Pentagon has just announced that it will livestream the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Hasan, who killed 12 U.S. service members and one civilian in 2009.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says the firing squad will carry out the sentence at Fort Hood, where Hasan’s attack took place.
“Execution by firing squad,” Hegseth said in a brief interview. “Army major betrays his country. Radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood. Of course we’re going to do it at Fort Hood. We’re going to do it on a Thursday. We’re going to do it at 1 o'clock, which is when he did it.”
“It’s going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad. It hasn’t been since World War II since we’ve done that. Well, I kind of like the mentality we had in World War II, which was win. Which was understand when the enemy attacks you, you need to stand your ground,” he continued.
“So, it was a radical Islamist terror attack. Remember what Obama called it? Workplace violence? I mean, that’s what we’re up against,” he added.
Unlike those who are critical of the decision to livestream the execution, BlazeTV host Sara Gonzales is on board.
“I know there are some people, even on the right, who are like, ‘Well, livestreaming it just really glorifies violence, and I just don’t know how I feel about that,’” Gonzales says.
Ross Patterson of the “Drinkin’ Bros” podcast agrees, telling Gonzales that he’s admittedly “amped” for the execution.
“I say line up a full pay-per-view card,” he says, noting that back in the day, executions were public for a reason.
“I mean, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving person, obviously, but I do agree with you that they made them public for a reason,” Gonzales responds.
“So, I totally agree with you, and I’m sure you will not be shocked to hear that the mainstream media is now trying to spin this story to portray the Fort Hood shooter as somehow the victim,” she continues.
Gonzales cites an article from Reuters that reads, “Extrajudicial lynchings in the United States, often by white mobs targeting Black Americans, were public spectacles well into the 20th century.”
“As if that has anything to f**king do with this conversation about a radical Islamist who went in and targeted military service members,” Gonzales says.
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Pete Hegseth says execution of Fort Hood terrorist will be PUBLIC — here's how
Critics of the Trump administration expressed their outrage after War Department Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Fort Hood killer will be publicly executed.
Major Nidal Hasan killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others during the 2009 attack at the Army base. He later said he wanted to prevent more deaths of Muslims in the Middle East. He was convicted in 2013.
'We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand there's serious consequences for these types of things.'
Hegseth said in an interview Thursday that the execution, conducted by the Army, will be public, as a throwback to previous times.
"No-brainer. Execution by firing squad. Army major betrays his country; radical Islamist kills a bunch of Americans at Fort Hood. Of course we're going to do it at Fort Hood," he said.
"And do it on a Thursday; we're going to do it at 1 o'clock, which is when he did it. And it's going to be soldiers with rifles, executing the firing squad," he added.
Hegseth pointed out that there has been no such military execution since World War II.
"Well, I kind of like the mentality we had in World War II, which was win," he added. "Which was understand when the enemy attacks you, you need to stand your ground."
He went on to criticize former President Barack Obama for calling the attack "workplace violence."
"That's the worldview we're up against is workplace violence," he added.
"We know what it is: It was a radical Islamist attack in uniform inside the ranks. And so he's going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be," Hegseth said. "And we'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
While many on the left objected to the announcement, even Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina expressed his displeasure with the plan.
"Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting," he wrote. "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America."
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Democrat Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state agreed.
"We can seek justice in this country without glorifying violence and turning an execution into a grotesque public spectacle. What this criminal did was abhorrent and must be punished — but we as a country cannot condone livestreaming a man’s death for entertainment," she wrote.
"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.
Hasan is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 3.
His will be the first execution of an American military member since 1961.
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How Classical Christian Education Can Save America
David Godwin's new book 'Forging the American Mind,' ably explains how faith, virtue, and excellence can be the heart of K-12 education.100 million stolen American IDs just popped up online — including this Trump official's
Almost nothing is scarier than finding out your privacy has been breached.
One tech reporter found out in the worst way possible.
'We have been continuously exfiltrating new data for over a year into our private database.'
Writer Brian Krebs says he was alerted by a source on Monday that his driver's license had found its way onto the dark web. Even worse, it was being given away as a free sample.
The source told Krebs that a service called Nexus was being advertised on a Russian cybercrime forum, Exploit, which was offering access to digital scans of IDs from an unthinkable number of people in North America.
Krebs wrote, "The source brought it to my attention because the proprietor of this identity theft service offered my Virginia drivers license as a free sample in their initial sales thread on Exploit."
The identity theft archive allegedly contained more than 153 million driver's licenses from North America, along with other identity documents that push the number of stolen IDs to more than 170 million.
After cross-referencing the dates and times listed on the documents of his colleagues, the reporter established that the images were likely being taken from a widely used verification company in Louisiana.
The accused website, idscan.net, told the outlet it was investigating the matter, but "was not able to share any additional information."
The ID of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth allegedly appeared on the website, too, with a price tag of $100 to "purchase" the record.
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"We have been continuously exfiltrating new data for over a year into our private database,' Nexus reportedly wrote. "Records are available to preview before purchase with pertinent information redacted. Customer photos are displayed if available."
Other stolen data on the website purportedly included travel documents, medical cards, marijuana dispensary cards, and more.
Some records had their source as "CDL," likely commercial driver's license, and "CAC," which could refer to government ID cards for Common Access.
Nexus claimed the images were coming from an active breach at a "major identify verification company" that has multiple Fortune 500 companies as customers.
Krebs said his page on the website included six images files, which consisted of infrared and ultraviolet versions of his license. The date and time stamp corresponded to a flight he took in 2025.
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The report further stated that the FBI's New Orleans field office had launched an investigation into the source of the images.
Blaze Media reached out to the FBI national press office and the New Orleans office to verify the existence of an investigation into the matter, but neither replied.
The website in question appeared to have been taken down since reports circulated.
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Trump Admin Asks SCOTUS To Weigh Military Restrictions On ‘Trans’ Troops
The Trump administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday to consider the legality of its policy effectively barring trans-identifying individuals from serving in the military. In its petition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) requested the high court to determine whether the War Department’s rule that “generally disqualifies” those who have “gender dysphoria, a history […]
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They're Live Streaming Nidal Hasan's Firing Squad at Fort Hood | 10/9/26