WASHINGTON, United States – US President Donald Trump has abandoned plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009, following widespread condemnation from lawmakers, religious leaders and international bodies.
Trump said Hasan would still be executed by firing squad as scheduled, but the event would not be broadcast to the public.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump said livestreaming the execution could have served as a deterrent by showing how the United States deals with people convicted of terrorism-related crimes. However, he said many people would prefer not to witness the killing.
“He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump wrote.
He added that immediate family members of the victims could attend the execution in person if they wished.
Pentagon Backs Trump’s Decision
The reversal came after Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had publicly supported making the execution a public event.
In an interview with Real America’s Voice last week, Hegseth argued that people needed to understand the consequences of attacks such as the Fort Hood shooting.
A Pentagon spokesperson told The Guardian that Trump and Hegseth had discussed the decision before the president’s announcement.
Hegseth supported Trump’s decision not to livestream the execution, the spokesperson said, adding that the two were aligned.
Hasan’s execution would be the first US military execution in more than 60 years and, had it been broadcast, the first publicly televised execution in American history.
Hasan was left paralysed from the waist down after being shot by law enforcement officers during the 2009 attack and now uses a wheelchair.
Lawmakers From Both Parties Condemn Broadcast Plan
The proposal triggered criticism across the US political spectrum, with lawmakers warning that broadcasting an execution would turn punishment into a spectacle rather than uphold the dignity of victims and their families.
Yassamin Ansari, the first Iranian American Democrat elected to Congress, condemned the plan in a social media post, comparing it to public executions associated with authoritarian governments.
Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska also opposed the proposal, saying there was no need to livestream any execution.
Representative Rob Bresnahan, a Republican from Pennsylvania, said the focus should remain on justice for the victims and their families rather than turning an execution into entertainment.
“Their pain deserves respect, not a public show,” Bresnahan said.
The criticism came as administration officials offered differing signals about whether the broadcast would proceed.
Vice-President JD Vance expressed doubt last week that the Pentagon would actually livestream the execution, saying he would not watch it if it happened. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, meanwhile, defended the administration’s position, saying no one would be required to watch.
Trump himself had sent mixed messages. On Friday, he told reporters he “absolutely” approved the livestream plan, but on Saturday said he had not made a final decision.
UN Warns Broadcast Could Breach Human Rights Standards
The United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that broadcasting the killing would amount to a public execution and breach the absolute prohibition of torture.
The president of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops also condemned the plan, describing it as a promotion of a culture of death.
The bishops’ statement said Hasan’s actions could not be condoned but argued that publicly executing him would undermine the country’s moral standing.
The criticism drew comparisons with public executions in countries including Iran and Afghanistan, intensifying pressure on the administration to reconsider.
Hasan’s Execution Still Planned
Despite the withdrawal of the livestream proposal, Trump said Hasan’s execution would proceed by firing squad as scheduled.
The decision ends the immediate dispute over whether the execution would be broadcast, but leaves the planned military execution itself in place.
Hasan was convicted over the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, in which 13 people were killed and more than 30 others were wounded.
The case has remained one of the most consequential acts of violence on a US military installation, and the planned execution has now become the focus of a separate debate over punishment, human rights and the public display of state-sanctioned killing.
