<p>President Donald Trump on Saturday stated he will make the final decision on whether to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the Fort Hood mass shooter.</p>
<p>Trump's comments to reporters followed various statements he made in the past two days regarding the issue, including a remark on Friday where he expressed support for the livestream.</p>
<p>The next day, Trump indicated to the press outside the White House that he had not yet made a final decision. He said, “There are two thoughts. Don’t show it and show it. Because, you know, by showing it, maybe other people won’t be doing what he did. So I’ll make a decision ultimately. I know what the military would like to do, but we’ll make a decision.” He added, “He’s a vicious killer. Killed 13 people in cold blood, wounded over 20. Some of those people will never have their lives back in a true sense. He was vicious. He was violent.”</p>
<p>Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3 after he killed fourteen people, including an unborn baby, and wounded over twenty others during a shooting at a medical center for soldiers. This execution will mark the first military execution by firing squad in the U.S. since 1945.</p>
<p>Secretary of War Pete Hegseth stated Thursday that the Pentagon plans to livestream the execution, asserting that “people need to understand that there are serious consequences for these types of things.” Vice President JD Vance later expressed uncertainty about whether the livestream would occur and mentioned he would not be watching. Some critics have opposed the livestream, arguing that public executions are characteristic of oppressive regimes.</p>
<p>Trump's recent comments have included contradictory statements regarding the livestream. At one point, he stated he “absolutely” approved of the Pentagon's plan, while at another, he said the White House would need to “make a determination” about the livestreaming, noting that Hasan is “totally nuts, so I really don’t care how he goes.”</p>
<p>In a separate interview, Trump mentioned he “wasn’t involved in that decision” to livestream the execution but acknowledged the reasoning behind it, stating, “They want to do that because they want to set an example. He went in, he killed 14 people. He badly, badly wounded 22 people, walked into a room, just started firing at everybody, screaming things that he shouldn’t be screaming.”</p>