President Donald Trump said Thursday that the planned firing-squad execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan will not be livestreamed, reversing an earlier Pentagon announcement that the public would be able to watch.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, fatally shot 13 unarmed soldiers and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009, in an attack he described as jihad. He was convicted by a military court-martial in 2013 and sentenced to death. After years of appeals, the Supreme Court declined to review the case in 2025. Earlier this month, Trump approved the death sentence on the recommendation of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The Army then scheduled the execution for 1 p.m. on December 3, 2026, at Fort Hood—the first U.S. military execution in more than 60 years and the first by firing squad since World War II.
Hegseth had stated that the execution would be public and livestreamed so that “people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.” The plan drew bipartisan criticism, objections from religious leaders, and statements from figures including Vice President JD Vance that they would not watch. A recent poll indicated strong public opposition to broadcasting the event.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote: “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 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.”
Trump added that immediate family members of the victims may attend the execution in person if they choose, saying, “They deserve to witness JUSTICE!” Reports indicated that Trump and senior advisers had not been fully aware of the livestream plan before Hegseth’s public comments and that internal discussions had been underway about whether to proceed with it.
SOURCES:
Trump calls off livestream of Fort Hood attacker’s execution by firing squad
Trump calls off livestream of Fort Hood shooter’s firing squad execution | CNN Politics
Trump says Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan’s execution won’t be livestreamed | Fox News
Trump Nixes Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution – TheWrap
Trump says Fort Hood shooter execution won’t be livestreamed after bipartisan backlash | PBS News
Trump says government won’t livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan
