President Donald Trump has called off plans to livestream the upcoming execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan. Trump announced the decision directly on Truth Social on Thursday. He wrote that many well-meaning people would rather not watch someone die through a screen. The decision marks a sharp reversal for the administration.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously announced that the execution would be broadcast online for the public. That original plan immediately drew pushback from lawmakers across both major parties. Critics argued that airing a military execution would turn justice into grotesque public entertainment. House Speaker Mike Johnson voiced serious concerns about the proposed broadcast. He warned that footage could easily become a recruiting tool for future extremists. Vice President JD Vance also said publicly that he would refuse to watch it.
Lawmakers welcomed the president’s sudden change of heart. Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin called the original livestream idea deeply disturbing. Republican Senator John Curtis praised the reversal as the right move for victims’ families. Curtis had previously warned that broadcasting executions degrades the dignity of the country. Public polling also revealed widespread disapproval. A strong majority of surveyed Americans opposed airing the event online.
Despite canceling the livestream, Trump made clear that the execution itself will proceed as planned. Hasan remains scheduled to die by firing squad on December 3. The former Army psychiatrist was convicted of murdering 13 people during a 2009 Texas mass shooting. He also wounded more than thirty others in the horrific attack. Hasan has spent years on military death row at Fort Leavenworth.
The execution will mark a rare moment in American military history. The U.S. military has not executed any service member since 1961. Furthermore, it will be the military’s first execution by firing squad since 1945. Hasan was paralyzed during the 2009 shooting and uses a wheelchair. Reports noted that Trump privately debated the practical and ethical optics surrounding the event.
The Pentagon quickly affirmed that leadership remains united on the revised strategy. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth spoke with Trump before the announcement. According to Parnell, the defense secretary fully supports the president’s final call. Officials confirmed the execution will now occur behind closed doors with official witnesses. The victims’ families will still receive justice without a sensational media spectacle. In the end, widespread bipartisan pushback helped steer the administration away from uncharted digital territory.
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