Trump Scraps Plan to Livestream First Military Firing Squad Execution in 65 Years

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the U.S. military will not livestream the upcoming December 3 firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, reversing an earlier Pentagon plan that triggered sweeping domestic and international backlash.

The reversal brings to a close a contentious public debate that erupted after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the execution would be made public and subsequently confirmed by the Pentagon that it would stream online. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that while he believed public airing might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan, he listened to concerns from the public.

Secretary Hegseth should seriously reconsider this decision.Nidal Hasan is an evil person. He betrayed our country, killed 13 American soldiers, and wounded dozens more at Fort Hood — a place I trained the year before his brutal attack.That does not change the fact that our… https://t.co/hxqJta7vqL

— https://x.com/RepTomBarrett/status/2108646235561394442

many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device. He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed.

President Donald Trump, via social media statement

Bipartisan Opposition and Global Condemnation Over the Streaming Plan

The initial decision to broadcast the execution drew immediate pushback from lawmakers across the political spectrum, religious leaders, and foreign officials. Critics warned that a livestreamed execution would establish a dangerous precedent and could be exploited by extremists to fuel radicalisation.

High-ranking officials distanced themselves from the broadcast plan as criticism mounted. Vice-President JD Vance told reporters he would not watch the stream if it went forward, stating I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen. In the Senate, Republican Lisa Murkowski of Alaska declared that there was “no need to livestream any execution, including this one” and added that she would expect such tactics from dictators rather than the United States.

There is no need to livestream any execution, including this one. I would expect this from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America. It would give this individual, who deserves no further notoriety, the martyrdom he seeks. How we carry out justice matters just as much as…

— https://x.com/lisamurkowski/status/2108654511225237720

Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, condemned the move as a barbaric promotion of a culture of death. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese examined options to block the transmission within Australia, arguing that platforms airing the footage would severely damage their own reputations.

Public opinion polling reflected the widespread resistance. A national poll conducted by the Washington Post, ABC News, and Ipsos found that eight in ten Americans opposed livestreaming the execution, distinguishing between the administration of capital punishment and broadcasting it to an online audience.

In Trump’s America, we’re doing public executions now. WTF.This is what happens under brutal dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan. It’s all part of Trump’s authoritarian takeover of the United States — and Republicans in Congress have enabled his agenda at every step. https://t.co/EYG0LAT7pd

— https://x.com/RepYassAnsari/status/2108404799343648945

Details of the Dec. 3 Firing Squad Execution at Fort Hood

Despite shelving the public broadcast, Trump confirmed that the execution itself will proceed exactly as planned. Hasan is scheduled to die by firing squad on December 3 at 1 p.m. The Army said the firing squad execution is set for 1 p.m. CST at the Fort Hood military base, where the deadly attack took place.

The proceeding marks a historic milestone in American military justice. If carried out, it will be the first military execution in more than 65 years. The last execution under the U.S. military justice system occurred on April 13, 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was hanged for rape and attempted murder.

Trump looks ahead with a stern expression — Photo: ABC News & Headlines

Hasan was convicted by a military jury in 2013 for a mass shooting on November 5, 2009. Operating as an Army psychiatrist, he opened fire inside a medical processing building where soldiers were preparing for deployment, killing 13 people—including a pregnant soldier whose unborn child also died—and wounding 32 others. Hasan represented himself during his trial without calling witnesses or offering a defense testimony, and he was subsequently sentenced to death.

Family Access and Remaining Legal Steps Before the Execution Date

While the general public and online audiences will be barred from viewing the event, the administration has carved out an exception for those most directly affected by the 2009 rampage. Trump stated that immediate family members of the victims will be permitted to attend the execution in person if they choose to do so, asserting that They deserve to witness JUSTICE!

An execution shouldn’t be a live-streamed spectacle. The focus should be on justice for the victims and their families, not turning an execution into entertainment. Their pain deserves respect, not a public show.

— https://x.com/RepBresnahan/status/2108580434204578214

The Pentagon declined to elaborate further on the operational details following the president’s announcement. As the December date approaches, legal analysts note that Hasan retains the option to seek further court interventions and appeals in federal court, while the Army has yet to publicly outline the specific procedures, witness protocols, or religious accommodations governing the firing squad.