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Page B42From§Eachthe evening edition — 18 October 2026
White House loses three court battles and a poll, then calls the retreat mercy.
As it ran on the front
Born October 9, when Secretary Pete Hegseth told cameras the broadcast would be "public" and a Pentagon official confirmed the livestreamed execution of Nidal Hasan, set for December 3, one o'clock. Preceded in death, that same day, by the UN human rights office's finding that livestreaming a killing "would breach the absolute prohibition of torture."
It survived six days. On October 15, a YouGov poll found seventy-one percent of Americans opposed broadcasting the execution live, eighteen percent favored it, and thirteen percent were not sure. The same day, the Guardian reported that pastors of the CREC church, whose leader said he preferred public executions to private ones, were the plan's last defenders. Not that they had asked him to stop. Only that they would rather not watch.…
…(cont) Across town, a second program was dying its own slower death, on a different docket but the identical premise: that the government decides what the public is permitted to see. Since September, the White House has argued that press access is a privilege, not a right, and lost that argument three separate times; a Trump-appointed judge extended the order restoring CNN, MSNBC and Politico's access again this month. If that is not malarkey, the word has no work left to do. Different plaintiffs, different courtroom, same theory, same verdict.
On Sunday, the Hill ran the plainest epitaph available: the public execution is off, but it never should have gotten this far. They didn't change their minds; they lost the argument. That is not a correction. That is a program that kept confirming the broadcast after the UN had already called it torture, and kept standing by it after its own poll said no, and stopped only when stopping was the one option left that no court or pollster could overturn.
Survived by the December 3 date, now empty on the calendar. Preceded in death by the notion that losing counts as persuasion.
In lieu of flowers, read the poll before you confirm the broadcast, not after.
“They didn't get a conscience, they ran out of road — the UN called it torture, their own poll said no, three judges already said no about the press passes, and only then does Trump call it mercy. Same move both times: lose everywhere else first, then stand up and take credit for stopping.”
“Look, the President showed mercy here, plain and simple — he heard the country and he acted, that's leadership. The press pass lawsuits? That's ongoing litigation, nothing's really final, these things take time to work through the courts. Did I say three losses? That's not — that's an appeals process functioning exactly as designed.”
Earlier in this story
- Trump cancels the livestream, keeps the firing squad. By Sterling · the evening edition, 18 October 2026
The receipts
Christa Pike has been released from the hospital and is back in prison after surviving an execution attempt in Tennessee that left her unconscious and on a ventilator. Pike is on death row for the premeditated torture and murder of a college classmate in 1995. The prisoner was set to be executed on Sept.
Leader of CREC church – whose pastors have advocated death penalty – says he ‘prefers public executions to private’ Donald Trump announced on Thursday he was cancelling Pete Hegseth’s recently announced plans to livestream a military execution – because “many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die”. But there…
Republicans are condemning the Pentagon’s plans to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, with one senator calling it “beyond disgusting.” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that Hasan’s execution, scheduled for Dec. 3, would be public.
Christa Pike is back at prison after surviving a botched lethal injection, but her attorneys say she still struggles with arm injuries and memory problems.
A new survey found the majority of Americans opposed publicly broadcast executions ahead of the Pentagon’s planned livestreamed execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. In the YouGov poll, 71 percent of respondents opposed “having executions broadcast live to the public,” while 18 favored it and 13 percent were not sure.
Pentagon said execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, would be broadcast live US politics live – latest updates The US is facing worldwide condemnation over a “barbaric” plan to execute a disabled man by firing squad and livestream it to the public, with critics comparing the Trump administration to…
The convicted murderer was left in a critical condition after she survived two lethal injections.
Fort Hood massacre survivor Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford shared his complicated feelings on the planned execution of convicted shooter Nidal Hasan potentially being livestreamed in December. Appearing on The Hill’s partner network NewsNation’s “Katie Pavlich Tonight,”
Livestreaming the execution of Nidal Hasan "will taint the honor of the military that employs it, and a nation that allows it," 72 former officers said in a letter.
"This does not bring anyone's family back. Livestreaming isn't closure for any of us," she said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson appeared to publicly nudge President Trump against having the 2009 Fort Hood shooter's execution by firing squad live-streamed for the whole world to see.
Defense Secretary Hegseth's announcement of a livestreamed execution elicited reactions of disgust and condemnation from some faith leaders and politicians. But within his church, it's not an outlier.
They didn’t change their minds; they lost the argument.
The UN torture rapporteur found direct-contact electric shock gloves "incompatible with the absolute prohibition of torture" — ICE plans to spend up to $20 million on them ABC10 San Diego / UN Special Rapporteur finding, August 2026
UN Says Trump-Hegseth Livestream of Execution Would Breach ‘Absolute Prohibition of Torture’As rights advocates across the US expressed horror at the Trump administration's confirmed plans to publicly broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan, the former military psychiatrist who was convicted of killing 13 people in a mass shooting at Fort Hood in 2009, the top United Nations human rights expert warned that the public state…
District court judge Timothy Kelly was ruling after Trump administration blocked access to three outlets last month A federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to continue allowing journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico to access the building as the media coalition’s lawsuit against the Trump administration plays out. Timothy…
The prison commissioner in the southern US state of Tennessee has resigned over the failed execution of convicted murderer Christa Pike, Governor Bill Lee has said.
The ruling will allow the outlets to enter the White House grounds while they sue to overturn the ban. But it doesn’t resolve all of their access problems.
Pike’s lawyers said she is back in same prison she’s lived in for last 30 years and will continue to receive medical care Christa Pike has been discharged from the hospital after surviving Tennessee ’s botched 30 September attempt to execute her by lethal injection and is back in prison, her lawyers said on Saturday. Pike, 50, returned…
Trump isn't “particularly enthusiastic” about Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream a military execution in December.
Christa Pike, who survived Tennessee's attempt to execute her by lethal injection, has been moved back to prison, according to a statement released by her lawyers.
A federal judge late Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction continuing to block the Trump administration's move to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
The first US military execution in more than 65 years will be livestreamed, announced the Pentagon on Thursday, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said it would be "public". Former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan opened fire at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009, killing 13 people. His execution will take place at the military base on December…
Judge Timothy Kelly found Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters likely violated the First Amendment. The White House vows to appeal.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said the White House's revocation of hard passes for CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists likely violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights.
“I’ve never seen anything like what we saw Wednesday night,” said one reporter who witnessed the execution attempt.
Christa Pike's lawyers on Saturday said that the 50-year-old convicted murderer has been discharged from the hospital and returned to prison. Pike was transported to the hospital in critical condition on September 30 after she survived Tennessee's botched effort to execute her for murdering a classmate when she was a teenager.
· Trump White House Restores Access to Politico, MS NOW, CNN Reporters Hours After Judge's Order from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Federal judge extends order halting White House press ban while considering long-term ruling from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Judge orders White House to temporarily restore media access for blocked outlets from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· White House again blocks CNN from press pool as Trump rages against media in wide-ranging interview – live from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Trump made ‘clear’ that media ban was due to critical coverage, lawyer tells judge from the morgue, 8 Oct 2026
· Sunday Shows Preview: Trump bans 3 media outlets from White House; Parties make final cases as midterms approach from the morgue, 19 Sep 2026
· Outgoing prison chief in Christa Pike case oversaw five ‘botched’ executions, lawyers say from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Judge orders officials to preserve all evidence tied to Christa Pike’s botched execution from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike’s lawyer says request to unshackle her was denied as he confirms she is speaking ‘limitedly’ – live from the morgue, 7 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike left in ‘critical condition’ as Tennessee halts all executions from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Tennessee suspends executions as Christa Pike’s lawyer says failed lethal injection leaves her in critical condition from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Tennessee Corrections commissioner resigns days after failed Christa Pike execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee Prison Chief Was Hired Despite a Trail of Troubled Executions from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Pike's botched execution renews death penalty scrutiny from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· After failed execution, health workers say Tennessee's method flouts medical ethics from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Supreme Court Allows Execution of Christa Pike, Tennessee’s Lone Woman on Death Row from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Federal court halts Christa Pike's execution from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· White House defends media outlet bans, now citing 'professionalism' standards from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Vance defends White House media ban: ‘Politico is as anti-Trump as Breitbart was anti-Obama or anti-Biden’ from the morgue, 21 Sep 2026
· Vance defends Trump's media ban as 'totally appropriate' from the morgue, 21 Sep 2026
· Bill Clinton: 'There were lots of times when I wanted to ban the White House press corps' from the morgue, 25 Sep 2026
· Tennessee prison chief to resign after Christa Pike's failed execution, governor says from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee’s prisons chief resigns after failed Pike execution, governor says from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Federal Appellate Court Halts Tennessee's Planned Execution of Christa Pike from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Supreme Court declines Christa Pike's clemency appeal, with Tennessee set to execute first woman in 200 years from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Supreme Court allows execution of Christa Pike to go forward from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Tennessee court makes last minute move to temporarily halt Christa Pike's execution from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· DOJ petitions judge to reinstate White House ban on CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters regain entry to White House from the morgue, 24 Sep 2026
· Tennessee prison system head to resign after failed Christa Pike execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee Prison Commissioner Resigns Days After Failed Execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Tennessee prison chief resigns after Christa Pike’s botched execution from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike’s Tennessee execution halted by court an hour before it was scheduled from the morgue, 30 Sep 2026
· Christa Pike thought her arm would ‘burst open’ during botched Tennessee execution: court docs from the morgue, 3 Oct 2026
· Death row inmate unconscious on ventilator after botched execution for teen’s killing: attorneys from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike remains unconscious and on ventilator after failed execution in Tennessee from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike unconscious and intubated after failed execution, lawyers say from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike Was Unconscious and on Ventilator After Execution Attempt from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· How legislatures and the courts sabotage the death penalty from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Tennessee inmate survived two lethal injections, her lawyer says in motion to halt execution from the morgue, 28 Sep 2026
· Tennessee Attempted to Execute a Sexual Assault Victim from the morgue, 22 Sep 2026
· Tennessee prepares to execute the first woman in over 200 years from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
· Questions emerge after Christa Pike's botched execution from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Tennessee executed Christa Pike by the book. She survived from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike in critical condition after failed execution attempts: Lawyer from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Christa Pike’s botched lethal injection takes focus off victim, jeopardizes execution: former police chief from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· What the Modern State Gets Wrong About Execution from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· States should not blindly Alabama's use of execution by nitrogen from the morgue, 28 Sep 2026
· Lawyers, experts urge Tennessee governor to commute Christa Pike’s sentence after botched execution from the morgue, 2 Oct 2026
· Botched execution of death row inmate from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· After Two Botched Attempts, UN Experts Urge Tennessee Not to Try to Execute Crista Pike Again from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Legal expert on what could happen after botched execution of Christa Pike from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· After Failed Attempt to Execute Christa Pike, Tennessee Pauses a Planned Execution from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Botched US execution prompts global calls to scrap death penalty from the morgue, 1 Oct 2026
· Lone woman death row inmate Christa Pike says she’s ‘at peace’ ahead of execution — as Tennessee gov. denies last-ditch bid for clemency from the morgue, 29 Sep 2026
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front. The byline is a pen name for a column drafted by a machine and checked by the editor: how this is made.