Trump calls off livestream of Fort Hood attacker's execution by firing squad
By: Nardine Saad
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
32 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleNardine Saad,Madeline HalpertandIone Wells,North America Correspondent
Getty Images
US President Donald Trump has called off plans to livestream the execution of former US army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan by firing squad.
Trump had previously said he approved of showing the death of the Fort Hood attacker, while Vice-President JD Vance cast doubt on whether it would happen and said he would not watch it.
Trump's decision to cancel the livestream came after widespread criticism in the US and globally. On Thursday, he said that "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die".
"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," Trump said.
"He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," the president added.
Hasan fatally shot 13 unarmed US soldiers at a military base in Texas in 2009, injuring another 32. His execution by firing squad will be the first military execution in more than 60 years.
Trump said the families of the victims can still view the execution in person if they wish.
"They deserve to witness JUSTICE!" he said.
After the Pentagon announced last week that it would execute Hasan on 3 December 2026 by firing squad and livestream the event, a cascade of criticism quickly followed from human rights groups and many others. The United Nations called the plans "abhorrent".
While there were more than 2,700 executions across 17 countries last year, only two nations carried them out publicly. According to Amnesty International, 11 public executions were known to have been carried out in Iran in 2025 and another six in Afghanistan.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his decision to air Hasan's execution online, saying that "people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things".
But as criticism mounted, Trump appeared to hedge his support, saying on Friday that he "absolutely" approved of the livestream plan, but adding that the Pentagon was still "making a determination" on it.
The president also called Hasan "totally nuts".
"I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him," he said.
John Galligan, a lawyer for Hasan working primarily on civil issues, told the BBC that Trump's decision to cancel the livestream of his execution "comes as no surprise".
"It was initially a dumb decision and statement by Hegseth to livestream any execution - and it violated the Army's own regulation," Galligan said.
He said Hasan is paralysed from the chest down, something that Trump "allegedly didn't even know" when he approved the livestream plan.
"The damage has already been done - the Army is now just trying to clean up the mess," Galligan said. "It will permanently remain a stain on our military justice system."
He added that it was not clear if Hasan was aware yet of Trump's "reversal" of the livestream decision.
Hasan opened fire in a crowded medical building where deploying soldiers were awaiting check-ups and vaccines.
Reuters
He later admitted in court that he was the gunman and apologised for "any mistakes". He said during his court-martial in 2013 that he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military.
The killings on 5 November 2009 were the deadliest ever non-combat attack on an American military base.
US military law requires that a military execution be approved by the US president. It also requires appellate review, when a higher court inspects the decision and gives a final judgement on its legality to move forward.
Firing squad execution to be livestreamed, Pentagon says
Fort Hood survivor supports gunman's execution by firing squad but questions livestream
JD Vance casts doubt on firing squad execution and says he will not watch it
United StatesUnited States Army2009 Fort Hood shootingCapital punishment
Trolling, taunting, spamming, and off topic comments may be removed at the discretion of group mods. NT members that are known plagiarists, repeat comments, or continue to disrupt/deflect the conversation risk having all of their comments deleted. Please remember to quote the person(s) to whom you are replying to preserve continuity of this seed. Any use of the phrase "Trump Derangement Syndrome" or the TDS acronym in a comment will be deleted. Any use of the term "Brandon", "Traitor Joe", or any variations thereof, when referring to President Biden, will be deleted. Right wing trolls can expect to have their irrelevant questions and comments deleted. Posting debunked lies will be subject to deletion. Use of the terms "leftist" or "lefty" will also be subject to deletion. ©
Tags
Who is online
86 visitors
So sad for all you ghouls out there. My own ghoul of a husband is all over face book celebrating the "live stream" of the execution. I think I will let him continue to make a fool of himself
My JAG called this last week. While the regs don't explicitly prohibit sharing the execution by electronic means, rules for public execution are pretty long and declare that no person under 18 can witness the execution.
The Pentagon reversed Hegseth's "order", now Trump tries to take credit for nixing the streaming live.
"we have seen the enemy..."
You're still in the military?
Feels like it sometimes but we had some good times and stayed in touch for over 30 years.
Imagine making USMC lawyers run annual PT in full gear then putting them out at 18 or 20 years for bad feet.
Combat boots........smh
The Marines are a whole different breed from the rest of the services. The Chair Force got to do their PT in sneakers and short
We were PT in sneakers in the Army back in 1984.
stop wrecking all the manly-maga bedtime stories ...
I wore chuck taylor hightops or nam boots all the way thru high school ...
See? Not that much different than the Air Force. Like I said, Marines...a whole different breed of animal. <making the JAG wear full combat gear to do PT...walks away shaking head>
Yes, we are lol
trump is probably afraid that execution would trigger a rash of executions while his election interference attempt is in full swing ...
why shoot the guy when rolling him down the ramp into DFW freeway traffic would accomplish the same thing ... /s
The mere thought of livestreaming an execution is repulsive. Hegseth is an idiot.
[✘]
[✘]
Do you think his name, religion and background made a difference in deciding to execute him instead of leaving him on death row with the others?
he's probably the only incarcerated muslim in a wheelchair available ...
People already know that. They just don’t care. Remember, these people all think that by dying for Allah, they get a free ticket to Heaven. The firing squad is not something they are worried about.
A bullet contains 72 virgins. Wouldn’t take too long to deflower all of them, so better spread them out over eternity. You don’t want to be stuck with worn out rape toys forever.
trump and maga will use this event to prove the trump administration is ADA compliant ...
make pete pull the trigger, since he'll probably be at the opposite end of those rifles later next year ...
You really want someone that can shoot straight for a firing squad. He'll end up shooting himself in the foot
then make him use a howitzer ...
that would get the job done if only it doesn't blast Kegsbreath into the next county
nah, he's big on collateral damage ...