Trump says Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan execution will not be livestreamed
President Donald Trump announced that the execution of Fort Hood mass murderer Nidal Malik Hasan will not be livestreamed, following widespread opposition.
- Development: Trump says Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan execution will not be livestreamed
- Core Takeaway: President Donald Trump announced that the execution of Fort Hood mass murderer Nidal Malik Hasan will not be livestreamed, following widespread opposition.
- Context: Primary reporting aggregated across independent newsrooms and verified against CurrentDeck standards.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the execution of Fort Hood mass murderer Nidal Malik Hasan will not be livestreamed, putting to end a controversial decision announced roughly one week ago by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. The decision, communicated via social media on Truth Social, halts a plan originally detailed by Hegseth.
The president made the statement on Truth Social, calling Hasan "a very bad and evil man" while also laying blame towards the Obama administration for not preventing the 2009 mass murder that resulted in the deaths of 13 Americans. 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."
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Involved Individual | Nidal Malik Hasan |
| Scheduled Date | Dec. 3 |
| Location | Fort Hood, Killeen, Texas |
| Method | Firing Squad |
| Casualties | 13 killed, 32 wounded |
Religious Opposition and Public Rejection
Religious leaders mounted significant opposition to the original plan. On Oct. 9, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned the decision to livestream the event, calling it "a barbaric promotion of a culture of death" and saying it "must be reconsidered." Additionally, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who provides pastoral services to Catholics in the U.S. Military, stated on Monday that if a Catholic soldier is assigned to the firing squad, they should ask to be excused from that duty.
Public sentiment and political figures also pushed back. Vice President JD Vance said earlier that he would not watch the livestream if it occurred. Keely Vanacker, the daughter of 62-year-old Fort Hood shooting victim Michael Grant Cahill, publicly iterated her opposition to the execution being livestreamed, telling The Spokesman-Review, "Livestreaming and taking joy in a tragedy that has deeply affected our family doesn't bring my dad back." Republicans including Rep. Tom Barrett and Sen. Thom Tillis also spoke out against the plan.
Historical Precedent and Execution Logistics
Hasan is scheduled to be executed Dec. 3 for shooting and killing 13 people while wounding 32 others at the Texas military base. Trump said Thursday that though the livestream has been reconsidered, Hasan will still be publicly executed—which will mark the first public execution in the United States since 1936. "He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," Trump said. "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!"
On Oct. 5, the Pentagon said that Trump had approved a recommendation by Hegseth to have Hasan executed by a U.S. Army firing squad. Hegseth said on Oct. 8 that the execution would be public, and the Pentagon subsequently confirmed the plan involved livestreaming Hasan's death. Following Trump's reversal, the Pentagon declined to elaborate beyond the president's statement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Nidal Hasan and what did he do?
Nidal Hasan is a former Army major and psychiatrist who carried out a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, killing 13 people and wounding 32 others.
When and how is the execution scheduled to take place?
Hasan is scheduled to be executed by a U.S. Army firing squad on Dec. 3, but the event will not be livestreamed.
Military.com reached out to the Pentagon on Thursday for comment on Trump's decision, and the Pentagon declined to elaborate further.
How significant is this development?
Cast your anonymous vote to register reader sentiment across business and policy circles.
CurrentDeck is dedicated to independent, evidence-backed reporting. This briefing was synthesized from primary source reporting, corroborated across independent newsrooms, and verified against our Editorial Standards.
