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Trump Overrules Hegseth, Cancels Livestream Of Fort Hood Shooter’s Firing-Squad Execution
Trump Overrules Hegseth, Cancels Livestream Of Fort Hood Shooter’s Firing-Squad Execution
Trump cancels Pentagon plan to livestream Nidal Hasan’s December 3 execution after mounting bipartisan opposition.
Hasan will still face a firing squad, with victims’ relatives allowed to witness the execution in person.
Critics warned that broadcasting his death could turn Hasan into a martyr and provide propaganda for extremists.
The execution will be the first by the US military since 1961 and its first firing-squad killing since 1945.
October 15, () – President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to livestream the execution of former US Army Major Nidal Hasan, overruling Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had announced that the public would be allowed to watch the firing-squad execution.
Hasan, convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 Fort Hood massacre in Texas, is still scheduled to be executed on December 3.
Trump, announcing the reversal on Thursday, said that while broadcasting Hasan’s death could have served as a deterrent by showing the world how America deals with terrorists, he had decided against making the execution a public spectacle.
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“He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed”, Trump said in a Truth Social post.
Family members of Hasan’s victims will, however, be allowed to witness the execution in person.
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Backlash Forced Review
Hegseth’s livestream proposal triggered criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, with opponents warning that publicly broadcasting Hasan’s death could have unintended consequences.
Critics argued that extremist groups could exploit the footage for propaganda and portray Hasan as a martyr, potentially turning an execution intended as a deterrent into a recruitment tool.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, said he was concerned about the policy implications and warned that terrorists could use the footage to promote their cause.
Vice President JD Vance had also expressed uncertainty over whether the livestream would proceed, while Trump said during the weekend that the final decision would be his.
“There are two thoughts: don’t show it and show it”, Trump said, acknowledging the argument that broadcasting the execution might discourage others from committing similar attacks.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist and major, opened fire on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood, killing 13 people and injuring 32 others. He was convicted by a military jury in 2013 and sentenced to death for 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.
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