US President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to livestream the execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who fatally shot 13 unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. The BBC reported that Trump announced the decision on Thursday following mounting criticism of the proposed public broadcast, despite…...
US President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to livestream the execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan, who fatally shot 13 unarmed American soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009.
The BBC reported that Trump announced the decision on Thursday following mounting criticism of the proposed public broadcast, despite previously expressing support for streaming Hasan’s death by firing squad.
Trump said that while he believed the livestream could serve as a deterrent against terrorism, he had reconsidered the plan after receiving objections from people who did not want to watch the execution.
“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.
Trump had earlier said he approved of making the execution available online, while Vice-President JD Vance expressed doubts about whether the broadcast would take place and said he would not watch it.
The president said on Thursday that “many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die”.
However, he maintained that the families of the victims would be allowed to witness the execution in person.
“They deserve to witness JUSTICE!” Trump said.
The Pentagon announced last week that Hasan would be executed by firing squad on 3 December 2026. The execution would be the first military execution in more than 60 years.
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously said the execution would be livestreamed for members of the public, arguing that “people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things”.
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Trump had also described Hasan as “totally nuts” last Friday while discussing the planned execution.
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“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.
The president subsequently confirmed that he “absolutely” approved of the livestream proposal, although he said the Pentagon was still “making a determination” on the matter.
Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, opened fire inside a crowded medical building at Fort Hood, where soldiers preparing for deployment were waiting for medical check-ups and vaccinations.
He killed 13 people and injured another 32 in the attack, which took place on 5 November 2009 and remains the deadliest non-combat attack on an American military base.
During his court-martial in 2013, Hasan admitted that he was responsible for the shooting and apologised for “any mistakes”.
He also told the military court that he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military.
Under US military law, an execution must be approved by the president and undergo appellate review, during which a higher court examines the decision and determines whether it is legally permissible to proceed.
Meanwhile, Amnesty International reported that although more than 2,700 executions were recorded across 17 countries in 2025, only two countries were known to have carried out public executions.
According to the organisation, 11 public executions were recorded in Iran in 2025, while another six were reported in Afghanistan.