U.S. public sentiment about the death penalty has come to the forefront after President Trump gave his blessing, then backtracked, to livestreaming an execution via firing squad. That planned execution comes after two botched Tennessee lethal injections this year, where the state struggled to find veins to administer death-inducing drugs to Christa Pike and Tony Carruthers.
What the Left Is Saying
Critics and progressive voices argue that the death penalty system is fallible and costly. Daniel LaChance, a history professor at Emory University, notes that support for the death penalty in the United States is "a mile wide and an inch deep." He explains that when polls offer alternatives such as life without parole, 60% of Americans prefer that option over execution. The number drops even further when monetary support to the victims' family members is an option.
Robin Maher, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center, states that wrongful death sentences and the moral efficacy of the punishment are swaying public opinion. "For the public to realize that the death penalty system was fallible, that it made serious mistakes, raised a lot of issues in people's minds about whether this very costly public policy, that was nonetheless rather inaccurate and unfair, should be used," Maher said. She adds that while many states allow capital punishment, they are issuing fewer death sentences, indicating that the American people are disenchanted with the use of the death penalty.
LaChance also highlights historical shifts in public perception, noting that elites began viewing public executions as "embarrassing carnivals" as the use of anesthesia made public pain seem "scandalous" and "barbaric." He points out that in certain parts of America, quasi-public executions once drew up to 10,000 viewers, but the modern aversion to public spectacle has grown significantly.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative perspectives emphasize the legal and moral authority of the state to carry out capital punishment for heinous crimes. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee stated that Tennesseans were disappointed by the failed executions of Pike and Carruthers, affirming the state's stance on capital punishment. "The people of Tennessee have determined that the death penalty is an appropriate penalty for the most heinous crimes in this state," Lee said. "The people of Tennessee make that decision and my job is to make sure that those sentences are carried out."
According to PRRI, a nonpartisan nonprofit, people who favor the punishment tend to be Christian, white and vote Republican. This demographic aligns with the majority support seen in polls, where approximately two-thirds of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder, according to a Pew Research Center poll from this summer.
The Trump administration initially signaled support for the high-profile execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and wounded 32 at Fort Hood in 2009. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced earlier this month that Hasan would be executed publicly, marking the first high-profile public execution in the U.S. in 90 years.
However, President Trump later backed away from the livestream plan. One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Trump was talked out of a livestream execution because it was against American values. The official also cited concerns that the tape would show up on Jihadi websites, leading to an increase in recruits and possible danger to U.S. forces in the Middle East.
What the Numbers Show
Polling data reveals a complex and divided public opinion on capital punishment. A Pew Research Center poll from this summer found that approximately two-thirds of Americans support the death penalty for people convicted of murder. However, separate 2025 polling from Gallup — which has been tracking support for the death penalty since 1937 — shows that 52% of Americans support the death penalty if a person is convicted of murder, the lowest share in more than 50 years.
The Pew Research Center study from July also found that while most people support the death penalty for crimes like murder, some 59% of respondents in the survey said the death penalty does not deter people from committing serious crimes – versus 39% who believe it does. Additionally, an October poll from ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos found that while 52% of Americans support Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan's execution, 80% say his death should not be livestreamed.
The application of the death penalty has become increasingly concentrated. Six states were responsible for the 31 executions in 2026 — even though 27 states still legally allow the most severe form of punishment in this country. Florida led the way, with more than half of the executions this year. The Death Penalty Information Center has counted 203 people since 1972 who were exonerated after being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death. "Those are just the ones we know about," says Robin Maher. "We don't know how many innocent people were executed before we learned about their claims."
Texas accounts for the most executions since the 1970s, while Michigan holds the title for the longest-running death penalty abolition in the U.S., after banning the practice in 1847. The upcoming execution of Nidal Hasan is slated for December, but appeals could delay it further.
The Bottom Line
The debate over Nidal Hasan’s execution highlights a significant disconnect between broad statistical support for the death penalty and specific opposition to its methods and visibility. With 27 states retaining capital punishment but executions concentrated in a handful of jurisdictions, the practice remains legally intact but increasingly rare in application. The scheduled execution in December remains subject to appeals, and the controversy surrounding the proposed livestream underscores ongoing cultural tensions regarding the role of the state in carrying out capital punishment.