Trump overrules Hegseth on Fort Hood shooter Hasan’s execution livestream after JD Vance’s objections

The execution remains scheduled for December 3, with the victims’ immediate families permitted to attend in person if they choose.

US President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to livestream the execution of former US Army major Nidal Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas.

Trump said on Thursday (October 15) that Hasan would still be executed by firing squad as scheduled on December 3, but the event would not be broadcast. He added that the victims’ immediate family members could watch the execution in person if they wished.

The decision reverses an earlier announcement by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that the execution would be made public, drawing criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, religious leaders and other observers.

Why did Trump cancel the execution livestream?

Trump said he had considered whether broadcasting the execution could deter future attacks but decided against livestreaming it after hearing objections from people who did not want to watch a person die.

In a social media post, Trump described Hasan as responsible for the deaths of 13 people, including a pregnant soldier and her unborn child, and said 32 others were seriously injured.

He argued that a public broadcast could have demonstrated the consequences of terrorism but acknowledged that many people opposed showing the execution.

“ He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump wrote, adding that the victims’ immediate families would be allowed to attend if they chose.

Trump had indicated previously that he would make the final decision, saying there were arguments both for and against broadcasting the execution.

Hegseth had said the broadcast would ensure that people understood there were serious consequences for such acts. The Pentagon subsequently confirmed that the execution would be livestreamed, prompting a backlash.

The proposal was particularly controversial because no other country is known to televise or livestream judicial executions.

Critics also raised concerns that images of the execution could be used for propaganda or contribute to radicalisation rather than serve as a deterrent.

“I’m not going to be watching it,” Vance said, while stressing that the controversy over the method of execution should not overshadow the killings for which Hasan was convicted.

Several Republican and Democratic lawmakers also criticised the plan. Religious leaders raised objections, while Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees the spiritual care of Catholic members of the US armed forces, voiced concerns. Pope Leo has condemned capital punishment in all its forms.

Public opinion also appeared to weigh against the proposal, with recent polls indicating that a majority of Americans opposed livestreaming the execution.

He entered a medical building where soldiers were waiting for immunisations and medical clearance before deployment. He shouted “Allahu akbar”, meaning “God is great” in Arabic, before opening fire with a handgun.

Hasan said he wanted to prevent soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and killing fellow Muslims. A military judge barred him from presenting that argument as a defence during his trial.

Hasan was shot in the back by law enforcement officers during the attack and was left paralysed from the waist down. He now uses a wheelchair.