{"id":2611528,"date":"2026-06-06T16:40:45","date_gmt":"2026-06-06T20:40:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/army-to-execute-four-inmates-if-trump-approves\/"},"modified":"2026-06-06T16:43:46","modified_gmt":"2026-06-06T20:43:46","slug":"army-to-execute-four-inmates-if-trump-approves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/army-to-execute-four-inmates-if-trump-approves\/","title":{"rendered":"Army to execute four inmates if Trump approves"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Farmy-to-execute-four-inmates-if-trump-approves%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2611528&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The U.S. Army said it is **not preparing to carry out executions** for its four military <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/merrick-garland-has-a-lot-of-thinking-to-do\/\" title=\"Merrick Garland Has a Lot Of Thinking To Do\">death row inmates<\/a>, pushing back on ABC News reports that it had drawn up plans awaiting President Donald Trump\u2019s approval. An Army spokesperson told the *Washington Examiner* that any activities related to execution are **routine, <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >long-standing drills** conducted<\/a> for about **20 years** as part of contingency planning if a President ever approved a death sentence.<\/p>\n<p>The spokesperson noted that there are four inmates at the **U.S. disciplinary Barracks** and explained that the Secretary of the Army is the department\u2019s designated executive agent for Level III corrections, which includes providing a facility for military executions. The spokesperson also said the President has **not taken action** to authorize executions.<\/p>\n<p>The article adds that military death sentences cannot be carried out without **presidential approval**, and the **last U.S. military execution** occurred in **1961**. It mentions War Secretary **Pete Hegseth** has publicly supported executing **Nidal Hasan**. It also identifies other inmates, including **Ronald Gray**, whose execution received presidential approval in 2008 but was blocked by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stopped-cold-federal-judge-blocks-final-part-of-biden-vaccine-mandate\/\" title=\"\u2018Stopped Cold\u2019: Federal Judge Blocks Final Part Of Biden Vaccine Mandate\">federal court decisions<\/a>, and **Timothy Hennis**, whose conviction eventually stood after earlier state-court developments and later DNA-based evidence helped prosecutors pursue the case again.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/army\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1905\">Army<\/a> said they are not preparing to carry out <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/death-penalty\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1427\">executions<\/a> for the military\u2019s four death row inmates, rejecting <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/US\/army-lays-groundwork-death-row-executions-trump-approval\/story?id=133639918\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/US\/army-lays-groundwork-death-row-executions-trump-approval\/story?id=133639918\">reports<\/a> that they were making moves to execute the inmates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A story by ABC News said that the Army had drawn up plans to execute its inmates on death row, awaiting President Donald Trump\u2019s order to do so. However, an Army spokesperson told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em> that any preparations for execution were part of routine drills conducted for the past 20 years.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4598022\/army-reject-report-plan-execute-death-row-inmate\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Army rejects report of plans to execute death row inmates<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4597411\/walz-administration-punish-whistleblower-oversight-committee\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Walz administration used outside investigators to punish whistleblowers, Oversight committee finds<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/4596573\/dc-circuit-grills-doj-white-house-bid-continue-building-ballroom\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>DC Circuit grills DOJ over White House bid to continue building ballroom<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThere are currently four death sentence inmates at the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks,\u201d the Army spokesperson said. \u201cThe Secretary of the Army is the Department of War\u2019s designated Executive Agent for Level III Corrections, which includes the responsibility to provide a facility for military executions.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cExercises regarding this operation have been conducted regularly for the past twenty years. These drills are a standard component of our continued planning and preparation if the President approves a death sentence,\u201d the spokesperson said, adding that the president had not taken action. <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Although military courts can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-proposes-bill-making-child-rapists-face-life-in-prison-or-death-penalty-cracking-down-on-drug-crime\/\" title=\"DeSantis Proposes Bill Making Child Rapists Face Life In Prison Or ..., Cracking Down On Drug Crime\">impose death sentences<\/a>, executions cannot proceed without presidential approval. The last military execution took place in 1961, when Pvt. John Bennett was put to death after being convicted of raping and attempting to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/murder\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"579\">murder<\/a> an 11-year-old girl.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">War Secretary <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/pete-hegseth\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1991\">Pete Hegseth <\/a>has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-cabinet-pick-in-doubt-after-senate-committees-postpone-hearings\/\" title=\"Biden Cabinet Pick In Doubt After Senate Committees Postpone Hearings\">publicly voiced support<\/a> for carrying out at least one of the pending military death sentences.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI am 100 percent committed to ensuring the death penalty is carried out for Nidal Hasan,\u201d Hegseth said in a statement to<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/defense\/5520696-fort-hood-shooting-justice\/\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/thehill.com\/policy\/defense\/5520696-fort-hood-shooting-justice\/\"> <em>The Hill<\/em> <\/a>in September, \u201cThis savage terrorist deserves the harshest lawful punishment for his 2009 mass shooting at Fort Hood. The victims and survivors deserve justice without delays.\u201d <\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In addition to Hasan, the Army\u2019s death row includes Ronald Gray, a former Army specialist and cook assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg,<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/north-carolina\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"552\"> North Carolina<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gray was convicted in 1988 on 14 charges, including three counts of premeditated murder, attempted murder and three counts of rape. In 2008, former President <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/george-w-bush\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"697\">George W. Bush<\/a> approved Gray\u2019s execution and set an execution date for December of that year. A federal judge halted the execution before it could be carried out, and the stay remained in place until another judge lifted it in 2016. Gray remains the only military death row inmate whose execution has received presidential approval.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4590722\/two-thirds-americans-founding-fathers-disappointed-250-anniversary\/\">TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICANS BELIEVE FOUNDING FATHERS WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED IN THE NATION AT 250<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another inmate, former Master Sgt. Timothy Hennis, was convicted by a military court for the 1985 rape and murder of a woman and the murders of her two young daughters in North Carolina.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hennis was initially convicted in state court in 1986, but the conviction was overturned on appeal because of evidentiary issues. He was acquitted at a 1989 retrial. Years later, advances in DNA testing allowed investigators to analyze preserved evidence that had not been testable during the original proceedings, leading military prosecutors to pursue the case and ultimately secure a conviction.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Army denies plans to execute four death row inmates<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4195,"featured_media":2611529,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/iStock-1066060592.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[78513,69663,4133,5894,71562],"class_list":["post-2611528","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-capital-punishment-2","tag-criminal-justice-2","tag-news","tag-politics","tag-united-states-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/iStock-1066060592.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611528","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2611528"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611528\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2611532,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2611528\/revisions\/2611532"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2611529"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2611528"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2611528"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2611528"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}