Source: Washington Monthly
by James D Zirin
“Public executions (what comes to mind is the Reign of Terror in France) may have been the order of the day in 1789 at the time of the Constitution, but they have certainly been viewed as barbaric in contemporary times. When the Hasan execution was still a live possibility, Vice President JD Vance said he doubted the livestream would take place, adding that he wouldn’t watch it anyway, as did Speaker Mike Johnson. A poll released last Thursday showed Americans were overwhelmingly against the whacko idea. Despite the cancellation, religious scholars worry it did damage.” (10/22/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/10/22/the-american-way-of-execution/