By Saqib S. Qureshi — SCN NEWS
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the Pentagon would not livestream the execution of a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, reversing a controversial plan championed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after widespread criticism from lawmakers, religious leaders and human rights advocates.
Trump said the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan would proceed by firing squad on December 3 at the Texas military installation where the mass shooting occurred. The president's decision changes how the punishment will be witnessed but leaves the execution itself and its scheduled date unchanged.
The announcement marked a reversal of a proposal that had drawn objections from both Republicans and Democrats, including concerns that broadcasting a prisoner's death could create a propaganda opportunity for extremist organizations and turn a military execution into a public spectacle.
Writing on his Truth Social platform, Trump acknowledged that broadcasting the execution might have been viewed as a deterrent but said many people did not want to witness the killing. He confirmed that the event would not be streamed, while allowing immediate family members of the victims to attend in person if they wished.
Hegseth announced earlier this month that Hasan would be executed by firing squad and that the proceedings would be available for public viewing. The Pentagon subsequently confirmed plans for a livestream, an unprecedented step for a modern U.S. military execution.
The defense secretary had defended the proposed broadcast as a demonstration of the consequences of carrying out a deadly attack against American military personnel. His remarks intensified debate over whether the government should publicly display an execution, even in a case involving a mass shooting that killed service members and civilians.
Trump initially expressed support for the proposed broadcast but later indicated that his administration was reviewing the decision. His announcement on Thursday ended uncertainty over the livestream after several days of public criticism and internal discussions about its potential consequences.
Vice President JD Vance was among the senior administration figures who questioned the plan, saying he would not watch the execution if it were broadcast. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson also acknowledged concerns among lawmakers that footage could be exploited by extremist groups seeking to recruit supporters.
The objections extended across party lines, with Democratic and Republican lawmakers questioning whether a public broadcast would serve any legitimate purpose. Critics argued that the proposed livestream risked shifting attention away from the victims and their families while giving the convicted attacker renewed international notoriety.
Religious leaders also condemned the proposal. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees Catholic pastoral services for members of the U.S. armed forces, raised objections to broadcasting the execution, while Pope Leo reiterated the Catholic Church's opposition to capital punishment.
Human rights organizations and international observers expressed concerns about the broader implications of televising a state-sanctioned killing. The controversy renewed questions about the limits of government transparency, the dignity of prisoners and the distinction between carrying out a judicial sentence and making an execution available as public entertainment.
Hasan, a former U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted by a military court in 2013 of carrying out the November 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood, a major Army installation near Killeen, Texas. Thirteen people were killed and more than 30 others were wounded when he opened fire at a soldier processing center.
The attack was one of the deadliest mass shootings at a U.S. military installation. Hasan was wounded by responding police officers and left paralyzed from the waist down, subsequently appearing in court and military custody in a wheelchair.
A military jury sentenced Hasan to death in August 2013 after convicting him of multiple counts of premeditated murder and attempted murder. The case moved through the military justice system for years before the Trump administration advanced plans to carry out the sentence.
Under U.S. military law, a president must authorize certain military executions. Trump approved the use of a firing squad on Hegseth's recommendation, allowing the Pentagon to schedule the execution for December 3.
The planned execution would be the first carried out by the U.S. military since 1961, when the Army executed John Bennett by hanging. It would also be the first military execution by firing squad since 1945, according to historical records cited by capital punishment researchers.
The choice of firing squad has itself attracted attention because of its rarity in modern American military justice. Although several U.S. states permit the method under certain circumstances, executions in the United States have more commonly been carried out by lethal injection in recent decades.
Hegseth had said the December execution would take place at Fort Hood, the same installation where Hasan committed the shootings. He presented the location and method as part of the military's response to an attack that had left a lasting impact on the armed forces.
The Pentagon's proposed livestream would have gone considerably further than established execution procedures. American executions generally permit a limited number of authorized witnesses, including representatives of victims' families, legal officials and selected observers, rather than unrestricted public broadcasting.
Legal experts questioned whether the military had sufficient justification to distribute live footage of the execution. They also raised concerns about the potential precedent for future cases and whether public transmission could invite additional legal challenges.
The last legally sanctioned public execution in the United States took place in 1936, according to death penalty researchers. Since then, executions have generally been conducted within controlled facilities, with access limited by law and institutional rules.
Trump's decision avoids an immediate confrontation over the proposed broadcast, although it does not resolve wider disagreements about capital punishment. Supporters of the death penalty argue that it provides accountability for the gravest crimes, while opponents question its morality, deterrent effect and application within the justice system.
The debate has intensified following a separate execution attempt in Tennessee earlier this month that left death-row prisoner Christa Pike seriously injured and hospitalized. The failed procedure prompted renewed scrutiny of execution methods and the risks associated with carrying out capital punishment.
The controversy surrounding Hasan's planned execution has also highlighted differences within Trump's political coalition. While administration officials have emphasized a tough approach to violent crime and terrorism, some prominent Republicans objected to the public broadcast on religious, ethical and national security grounds.
The president's intervention leaves Hegseth's preferred method of execution in place while rejecting the defense secretary's proposal to make the event available to a global audience. The Pentagon had not issued an immediate further response to the decision when it was reported on Thursday.
For the families of those killed at Fort Hood, the announcement preserves the option of witnessing the execution without requiring the proceedings to be broadcast publicly. Their attendance remains voluntary, and the execution is still scheduled to take place under military authority.
The decision closes the immediate dispute over livestreaming but leaves broader questions about the administration's capital punishment policies unresolved. For now, the White House has drawn a distinction between enforcing Hasan's death sentence and allowing the public to watch it happen.