Trump Cancels Pentagon Plan to Livestream Execution of Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan

President Donald Trump canceled the planned livestream of the firing-squad execution of former Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan on October 15, reversing a Pentagon announcement from the previous week.

Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. The military has scheduled his execution for December 3 at the same installation, the first such Army execution since World War II. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had said the event would be broadcast so the public could see the consequences of the attack. Trump initially supported the idea.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that streaming “might have been a strong deterrent” but that “many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.” He confirmed Hasan will still die by firing squad on schedule. Only immediate families of the victims may attend in person.

The reversal followed criticism from both parties in Congress, religious leaders, and Vice President JD Vance, who said he would not watch. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that Trump and Hegseth discussed the change and remain “completely aligned.” The decision marks a public adjustment by the administration on a high-visibility military justice matter weeks before midterm elections.

Hasan has been paralyzed from the waist down since the 2009 attack. Some accounts indicate Trump learned of that detail after the livestream plan was announced and weighed whether a broadcast would serve as an effective deterrent. The White House has not released further details on internal deliberations. Families of the victims retain the standard option to witness the execution under existing military procedures.

The episode shows the limits of public execution broadcasts in contemporary US policy. Previous military executions have not been televised. Human rights groups and some lawmakers argued that a livestream would degrade institutional standards. The cancellation leaves the December 3 date and method unchanged while removing the broadcast element that drew the strongest opposition.

Hasan’s 2013 court-martial and death sentence have been upheld through appeals. The Army’s decision to use a firing squad follows regulations for capital cases. With the livestream removed, the event will proceed under restricted attendance rules already in place for military executions. Further statements from the Pentagon or White House on security or media access have not been issued.