Trump says Pentagon will stop livestreaming Hasan’s Dec. 3 execution after bipartisan criticism

The Story

President Donald Trump said Thursday that the Pentagon will no longer livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, after the plan faced bipartisan criticism.

In a post on social media, Trump said publicly airing the execution “might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan.” He added that “any very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.”

The Pentagon has said Hasan’s execution is scheduled for Dec. 3. Trump said the execution can be viewed in person by immediate families of the victims, “if they so choose.”

Trump’s comments came after a public announcement earlier this month by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Hasan’s execution would be public, followed by confirmation from the Pentagon that it would be livestreamed. The proposal drew blowback from both Republicans and Democrats, with some lawmakers and others raising concerns that images could be used to fuel radicalization.

Vice President JD Vance also addressed the controversy when asked how a public execution fits with his Christian faith earlier this month, saying, “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen.” He said, “So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don’t forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people,” adding, “Now, that said, I mean, look, if it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it.”

Hasan, an Army psychiatrist with the rank of major, walked into a medical building on Nov. 5, 2009, where soldiers were waiting in long lines for immunizations and medical clearance for deployment. He shouted “Allahu akbar” — Arabic for “God is great!” — and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun, including by shooting at the backs of soldiers fleeing toward the parking lot.

After the attack, Hasan said the shooting was intended to stop soldiers from going to Afghanistan and killing his fellow Muslims. A military judge barred him from presenting that account as a defense during his 2013 trial.

Hasan was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot in the back by law enforcement, and he now uses a wheelchair. The AP reported he could seek a lengthy delay of his execution, though it said that given his behavior at trial, he may not want to.