Trump calls off livestream of Fort Hood attacker’s execution by firing squad
US President Donald Trump has known as off plans to livestream the execution of former US military psychiatrist Nidal Hasan by firing squad.
Trump had beforehand stated he accredited of displaying the demise of the Fort Hood attacker, whereas Vice-President JD Vance cast doubt on whether or not it might occur and stated he wouldn’t watch it.
Trump’s choice to cancel the livestream got here after widespread criticism within the US and globally. On Thursday, he stated that “many excellent and nicely which means folks would fairly not watch him die”.
“I feel streaming the execution for all to see may need been a robust deterrent for the World to witness how America offers with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan,” Trump stated.
“He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, however this occasion won’t be streamed,” the president added.
Hasan fatally shot 13 unarmed US troopers at a army base in Texas in 2009, injuring one other 32. His execution by firing squad would be the first army execution in additional than 60 years.
Trump stated the households of the victims can nonetheless view the execution in individual if they want.
“They need to witness JUSTICE!” he stated.
After the Pentagon introduced final week that it might execute Hasan on 3 December 2026 by firing squad and livestream the occasion, a cascade of criticism shortly adopted from human rights teams and plenty of others. The United Nations known as the plans “abhorrent”.
While there have been greater than 2,700 executions throughout 17 international locations final 12 months, solely two nations carried them out publicly. According to Amnesty International, 11 public executions had been identified to have been carried out in Iran in 2025 and one other six in Afghanistan.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his choice to air Hasan’s execution on-line, saying that “folks want to know that there is severe penalties for a majority of these issues”.
