US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former US Army major convicted of carrying out the 2009 Fort Hood terrorist attack, will not be livestreamed as previously planned.
In a statement, Trump confirmed that Hasan, who murdered 13 people and wounded 32 others, will still be executed by firing squad on December 3, but that the broadcast has been canceled following objections to making the execution publicly viewable.
"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, but many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device," Trump wrote.
"He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," the President declared.
Trump added that immediate family members of Hasan's victims would be allowed to witness the execution in person if they wished.
"They deserve to witness JUSTICE!" he stated.
In his announcement, Trump also addressed Hasan's communications with radical Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaki before the massacre. He noted that the FBI had intercepted electronic exchanges between the two but that investigators reviewing the correspondence had concluded that Hasan did not pose a threat.
Trump characterized the assessment, which he attributed to the Obama administration, as a major intelligence failure.
The reversal comes after 72 retired US generals, admirals, and other senior military officers publicly urged the administration to abandon the planned livestream.
In an open letter, the former officers warned that broadcasting the execution could damage the reputation of the US military, endanger American personnel, and provide extremist groups with propaganda material.
They also expressed concern that the public broadcast could allow Hasan to be portrayed as a martyr by his supporters.
"We appeal to the president, our representatives in Congress, and all citizens to act to prevent this clear and barbaric abuse of their authority," the officers wrote.
The Pentagon had previously announced that the execution would be broadcast live, following comments by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirming that the public would be able to watch.
"We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public," Hegseth said in an interview with Real America's Voice News.
Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, carried out the terrorist attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 5, 2009. He opened fire on unarmed soldiers at a military processing facility after shouting "Allahu Akbar."
During his trial, Hasan acknowledged responsibility for the shooting and said he had acted to prevent American soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and killing Muslims.
A military court convicted Hasan in 2013 and sentenced him to death. His sentence was subsequently upheld through the appeals process, and the Supreme Court declined to review his case.
Trump approved Hasan's execution earlier this month following a recommendation from Hegseth. If carried out as scheduled, it will be the first US military execution since 1961.