Trump Cancels Livestream of Fort Hood Shooter's Firing Squad Execution
President Trump dropped plans to broadcast Nidal Malik Hasan's execution after bipartisan backlash. The Dec. 3 firing squad execution remains scheduled.
Trump Drops Livestream Plan for Fort Hood Shooter's Execution After Bipartisan Backlash
President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled plans to broadcast the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, citing widespread opposition from across the political spectrum, time.com reports.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that streaming the execution "might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM," but acknowledged that "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die." He added that victims' families may still attend the execution "if they so choose."
The execution remains scheduled for Dec. 3 and will be the first U.S. military firing squad execution since World War II.
Hegseth's Announcement Triggered Immediate Pushback
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced on Oct. 8 that the execution would be livestreamed, setting off a swift and unusually unified backlash. Vice President JD Vance said earlier this month that he doubted the plan would proceed and stated he would not watch even if it did. House Speaker Mike Johnson also said he would not tune in, telling CBS News that colleagues had raised concerns, including that "you would create a video that would be a recruiting tool for future terrorists."
Republican lawmakers joined Democrats in opposing the plan. Rep. Austin Scott of Georgia, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, posted on X: "I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that."
Rep. John Curtis of Utah warned that "a civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment," urging Hegseth to "reconsider." Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, a frequent GOP critic of Hegseth, called the livestream idea "beyond disgusting," adding: "Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America."
Polls Showed Broad Public Opposition
Public opinion surveys reinforced the political pressure. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found that eight in ten Americans opposed livestreaming Hasan's execution. Opposition crossed party lines: 91% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 64% of Republicans were against the broadcast. A separate YouGov poll found 69% of respondents opposed broadcasting executions publicly, including 52% of Republicans.
Among Americans who support capital punishment, 55% still opposed livestreaming executions. Support for the death penalty overall has declined in recent years — a Gallup poll found 52% of Americans backed capital punishment for convicted murderers in 2025, down from roughly 80% in 1994.
Trump also reportedly reconsidered the plan after learning that Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down, according to sources familiar with the matter who spoke to CNN.
Background: The 2009 Fort Hood Attack
Hasan, a former U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in a mass shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, in November 2009. He opened fire inside a processing center where soldiers were preparing to deploy overseas, killing 12 soldiers and one civilian employee. Among the dead was Pvt. Francheska Velez, 21, who was three months pregnant at the time of the shooting.
Hasan stated that he was motivated by opposition to U.S. military operations in Afghanistan and by his support for the Taliban. "I was on the wrong side but I switched sides," he said in 2013.
Source: NYT US News