Trump Cancels Plans to Livestream Nidal Hasan's Execution by Firing Squad

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the government has scrapped plans to livestream the upcoming execution of former Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, reversing a proposal initially announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hasan is scheduled to be executed by a firing squad on December 3rd at the Texas military base where he opened fire in 2009, killing 13 unarmed military personnel and wounding 32 others in the deadliest non-combat attack on an American base. While the execution will proceed as planned, the event will not be broadcast publicly, though immediate family members of the victims will be permitted to witness it in person.

In a post published on Truth Social, President Trump explained his decision to call off the broadcast:

"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. That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness JUSTICE!"

Hegseth’s initial announcement last week that the execution would be public and streamed online sparked immediate and widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, lawmakers from both political parties, and the United Nations, which termed the plans "abhorrent." Public opinion polls also showed overwhelming opposition, with an ABC News-Washington Post-Ipsos survey revealing that 80 percent of respondents opposed airing the execution.

Critics, including House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republican Senator John Curtis, warned that broadcasting the event could create an appetite for entertainment-style executions, violate domestic standards against graphic material, and provide extremist groups with powerful propaganda and recruitment tools to martyr the attacker.

Inside the administration, the proposal faced hesitation from Vice President JD Vance, who publicly stated he would not watch the broadcast, and encountered behind-the-scenes adjustments after President Trump learned that Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down from law enforcement gunfire during the 2009 shooting.

Defense Department spokespersons confirmed that Hegseth and President Trump discussed the decision and remain fully aligned.

The execution will be the U.S. military's first capital punishment procedure in over 60 years, and the first time an American service member is put to death by firing squad since 1945.

Defense Secretary Hegseth's sudden directives regarding the execution method and location reportedly caught U.S. Army and Pentagon officials by surprise. Military planners had originally prepared to carry out executions via lethal injection at the federal facility in Terre Haute, Indiana, and must now finalize procedures for the firing squad at Fort Hood.

John Galligan, an attorney representing Hasan on civil matters, criticized the initial handling of the announcement, telling the BBC:

"The damage has already been done - the Army is now just trying to clean up the mess. It will permanently remain a stain on our military justice system."