President Donald Trump canceled plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist who killed 13 soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas in 2009. Hasan will be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026, but the event will not be broadcast publicly.
Trump initially approved the livestream plan announced by the Pentagon last week. He said on Thursday that "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die," reversing his earlier position. He acknowledged the livestream "might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan" but concluded the execution would proceed without public broadcast.
Victim families retain the option to witness the execution in person, Trump said. "They deserve to witness JUSTICE," he added.
The Pentagon's original livestream announcement sparked widespread criticism from human rights organizations and international bodies. The United Nations called the plans "abhorrent." According to Amnesty International, only 11 public executions were documented globally in 2025, all in Iran and Afghanistan.
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had defended the livestream proposal, stating that "people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things." As criticism mounted, Trump hedged his position on Friday, saying he "absolutely" approved the plan while noting the Pentagon was still "making a determination" on it.
Hasan, paralyzed from the chest down, opened fire on November 5, 2009 in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood where deploying soldiers awaited check-ups and vaccines. He wounded 32 others in the deadliest non-combat attack on a US military base. At his 2013 court-martial, Hasan admitted to being the gunman and said he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban from US military action.
John Galligan, Hasan's civil lawyer, told the BBC that Trump's cancellation "comes as no surprise," calling the livestream plan "initially a dumb decision" that violated Army regulations. He said the decision caused lasting damage to military justice credibility.
US military law requires presidential approval for executions. This execution will be the first military execution in more than 60 years.