Trump execution livestream plan has been cancelled after widespread backlash. US President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that the firing squad execution of convicted military base shooter Nidal Hasan will not be streamed online.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier said the event would be made public and available for people to watch. The proposal triggered strong opposition from Democratic and Republican politicians, the Catholic Church, human rights groups and the United Nations.
Trump confirmed the change in a post on his Truth Social platform. He stated that Hasan will still die by firing squad on the scheduled date of December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, but the execution will not be livestreamed. The president noted that immediate family members of the victims could still view the event in person if they wished.
Trump said he did not personally oppose the idea of streaming, describing it as a possible strong deterrent for the world to see how America deals with terrorists. However, he acknowledged that many well-meaning people preferred not to watch the death take place.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people in a 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood military base. His upcoming execution is set to be the first by a US military firing squad since 1945.
The decision to cancel the livestream is seen as a setback for Hegseth, who is already facing criticism over other issues, including the ongoing situation with Iran. Those concerns are adding pressure on the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections.
The announcement ends a short-lived and highly controversial plan that had drawn criticism both inside the United States and internationally. While the execution itself remains scheduled, the public will not be able to watch it online.
The case continues to highlight ongoing debates around capital punishment, military justice and the limits of public transparency in such proceedings.
