Trump Calls Off Livestream Of Fort Hood Shooter’s Execution

President Donald Trump on Thursday called off livestreaming the execution of the convicted Fort Hood shooter, following widespread backlash to the plan to broadcast his death.

“Streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like [Nidal] Hasan but, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device,” he wrote on social media. “He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to livestream the Dec. 3 firing squad execution of Hasan last week, which was immediately denounced  by Republicans, Democrats and the Catholic Church.

Hasan, a one-time Army officer, killed 13 servicemembers and injured dozens more in a 2009 shooting on the Fort Hood Army base in Killeen, Texas. He was convicted by a military court and sentenced to death in 2013.

But until Thursday, the president had stood by the Pentagon chief’s plan.

Trump’s decision to override Hegseth comes after Vice President JD Vance said last week that he would “not be watching” Hasan’s execution if it were broadcast.

Congressional Republicans also urged Hegseth to reconsider, with some criticizing the move as something the Taliban or dictatorships might do — and one that could could inspire terrorist acts. The Pentagon has not staged a public military execution since the 1930s.

“Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), a fierce critic of Hegseth, wrote on X last week. “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.”

The about-face came after Kentucky House Republican Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced articles of impeachment against Hegseth for high crimes and misdemeanors, including the Iran war, the Trump administration’sboat strikes in the Caribbean and the Pentagon chief’s alleged suppression of free speech in his battle with Democrats overtheir calls for troops to refuse illegal orders.

Democrats are considering reviving a subcommittee to investigate the Pentagon — and Hegseth — if they win control of Congress in November.