US President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to livestream the scheduled execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan. Trump announced the decision on Thursday, October 15, saying the execution would proceed as planned without a public broadcast. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas.
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Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously announced that a firing squad would execute Hasan on December 3 at Fort Hood. He also proposed broadcasting the execution, arguing that it could demonstrate the consequences of terrorist attacks. Trump said he had decided against the livestream after considering concerns raised by people opposed to publicly showing the execution.
The proposal faced criticism from several quarters, including Republican officials, religious leaders and international observers. Vice President JD Vance also expressed doubts about the plan. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees spiritual care for Catholic members of the US armed forces, raised objections. Pope Leo has also condemned capital punishment in all its forms.
Trump said Hasan would still face execution by firing squad on the scheduled date. However, the event would not be streamed online or through other visual platforms. The families of Hasan’s victims will have the option to witness the execution in person, following standard US execution procedures.
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Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted in a military trial for the November 2009 attack at Fort Hood. The shooting killed 13 people and wounded 31 others. The livestream controversy emerged amid renewed scrutiny of capital punishment after a botched execution attempt in Tennessee left convicted murderer Christa Pike seriously injured. The US Defence Department had not immediately responded to a request for comment on Trump’s decision.