President Donald Trump is reportedly reconsidering whether Americans should be able to watch the execution of Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan, days after publicly backing the Pentagon’s livestream proposal.
Trump remains supportive of executing Hasan. But whether the Dec. 3 firing squad execution will be broadcast is still an open question.
Axios reported Monday, citing four people who have spoken with the president, that Trump has privately expressed doubts about the livestream amid criticism from lawmakers and advisers.
According to the Mediaite report, one source said Trump suggested the broadcast “might not happen” as he sought opinions on the proposal.
Trump Says He Will Decide
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the livestream plan last Thursday, arguing that publicly showing Hasan’s punishment would demonstrate the consequences of his crimes.
Trump initially endorsed the idea. Asked Friday whether he had personally approved the broadcast, the president replied, “Did I approve? Absolutely I did,” Mediaite reported.
By Saturday, Trump said he was weighing whether broadcasting the execution could deter others from committing similar attacks.
“So I’ll make a decision ultimately,” Trump told reporters. “I know what the military would like to do, but we’ll make a decision.”
Advisers Raise Concerns
The proposal has drawn objections from Republicans who support Hasan’s execution but question the value of broadcasting it.
Vice President JD Vance said Friday that he was unsure the livestream would happen and would not watch if it did. Other Republicans have warned that the footage could become terrorist propaganda or turn the execution into a spectacle, ABC News reported.
Hasan, a former Army major and psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood in 2009. He was sentenced to death in 2013, and his scheduled execution would be the first carried out by the U.S. military since 1961.
Trump’s reported reservations concern public access to the execution. His latest public comments leave the broadcast awaiting his final call.
