BREAKING: Trump makes U-turn, says Fort Hood shooter’s execution won’t be livestreamed

United States President Donald Trump has reversed his position on livestreaming the execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who was convicted over the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, saying the scheduled firing squad execution will not be broadcast online.

Trump announced the decision on Thursday following mounting criticism of his earlier support for making the execution public.

He said concerns raised by people who did not want to watch Hasan die had influenced the decision to abandon the proposed livestream.

“Many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die”.

The president had previously backed the idea of broadcasting the execution, arguing that showing the punishment could serve as a deterrent against terrorism.

However, Vice-President JD Vance had expressed doubts about whether the broadcast would take place and said he would not watch it.

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Explaining his earlier position, Trump said: “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.

Despite dropping the plan to livestream the execution, Trump maintained that Hasan would be executed as scheduled.

“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 and wounded 32 others.

His planned execution by firing squad would mark the first military execution in more than 60 years.

(BBC News)