President Donald Trump announced on October 15, 2026, that the execution of Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter, will not be livestreamed. This decision reverses a plan previously announced by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump stated in a post on Truth Social that while streaming the execution could have served as a deterrent, many people would prefer not to witness it. Hasan is scheduled to be executed by firing squad on December 3, and family members of his victims will be allowed to attend the execution in person.
Hasan was sentenced to death in 2013 for killing 13 people and injuring 32 others during a shooting at Fort Hood Army base in 2009. The initial proposal to livestream the execution faced backlash from both Republicans and Democrats, with critics expressing concerns about the potential for reinforcing Hasan's desire for martyrdom and questioning the appropriateness of a public execution.
The idea to livestream the execution was reportedly Hegseth's, and it caught Trump and several senior White House officials off guard. After learning more about the situation, including that Hasan is paralyzed, Trump decided against the livestream. Additionally, Army officials were surprised by the shift from a planned lethal injection execution at a federal facility to a firing squad execution at Fort Hood, as they had been preparing for the former for months. Vice President JD Vance expressed skepticism about the livestream plan, stating he would not watch it if it were to occur. Trump indicated that he would ultimately make the final decision regarding the execution's visibility.