🚨 BREAKING: Trump Cancels Planned Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution…
President Donald Trump reversed the Pentagon’s plan to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, saying the firing squad death scheduled for December 3 will not be broadcast to the public.
The reversal came days after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the military would allow public viewing of the execution. Trump said on Truth Social that while the event could serve as a deterrent, “many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die.” Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens of others in the 2009 shooting at the Texas military base.
Immediate family members of victims will still be permitted to watch the execution in person, Trump said. The president noted that Hasan “will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed.”
What Led to the Reversal
Trump’s advisers had been debating the livestream decision internally, according to CNN reporting. Sources said Trump was initially unaware that Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down and did not know Hegseth planned to announce the livestream without consulting him first.
Despite concerns about the announcement, Trump remained firmly committed to executing Hasan by firing squad, multiple officials told CNN. The president has publicly defended the execution method on several occasions.
Public Opposition
The livestream plan faced swift bipartisan backlash after it became public. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll released Thursday showed that 80% of US adults, including 64% of Republicans, opposed broadcasting the execution.
Pentagon personnel were caught off guard by the announcement, CNN previously reported. The reversal aligned with the widespread public opposition to streaming the event.
Alignment Between Trump and Hegseth
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed that Trump and Hegseth discussed the decision before the announcement. “The Secretary supports the President’s decision, and they are completely aligned,” Parnell said in a statement Thursday.
The execution will be the first firing squad execution by the US Army since World War II and the first death penalty imposed on an active-duty service member in 65 years.
This story has been updated. CNN’s reporting contributed to this article.