President Donald Trump holds a Cabinet meeting, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in the Cabinet Room. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the execution of Fort Hood terrorist Nidal Hasan will not be livestreamed, ending days of debate over the Pentagon’s plan to broadcast the convicted mass murderer’s death.
Trump said he had considered a public broadcast as a deterrent but concluded that many well-meaning people would prefer not to witness the execution, the New York Post reported.
“He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
BREAKING: President Trump says Nidal Hasan, the former Army major who murdered 13 people and wounded 32 in the 2009 Fort Hood attack, will be executed by firing squad as scheduled—but the execution will not be streamed publicly. Trump also condemned the Obama-era FBI’s handling… pic.twitter.com/Svskg7yN6H
Hasan’s execution is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas. The former Army major and psychiatrist was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 others in the 2009 massacre.
Trump Takes Control Of The Decision
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced last week that the execution would be available for the public to watch. But Trump subsequently made clear that he would have the final say.
“There are two thoughts: don’t show it and show it,” Trump told reporters Saturday, according to UPI.
The president considered whether showing the punishment could discourage others from carrying out similar attacks, while leaving himself room to reject the broadcast.
“So I’ll make a decision ultimately,” he said.
His announcement Thursday resolves that question after consultations with advisers and allies.
What Reportedly Changed His Thinking
Behind the scenes, Trump’s discussions went beyond whether Hasan deserved the punishment.
Learning that detail made a public broadcast less appealing to the president, two sources familiar with the discussions told CNN. Hasan was paralyzed during the exchange of gunfire with law enforcement that ended his attack.
Trump also listened to arguments that footage of the execution could give terrorists and foreign adversaries material to portray Hasan as a martyr, an adviser told CNN. The network reported that Trump remained firmly behind the firing squad sentence throughout those discussions.
Those accounts describe concerns reportedly raised during deliberations. Trump’s public explanation Thursday focused on people’s reluctance to watch an execution.
Concerns About A Propaganda Tool
ABC News separately reported that officials feared the broadcast could fuel extremist propaganda or become a spectacle that reflected poorly on the United States.
The concern had particular significance in Hasan’s case: According to court records cited by ABC, he told Army officials that he had hoped to die during the attack and would consider himself a martyr if executed.
Advisers discussed possible alternatives, including showing preparations and cutting away before the firing squad opened fire, or placing a camera outside the execution area.
Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson had also said they would not watch the execution.
