Trump abandons plan to livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan

Trump abandons plan to livestream execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan - US President Donald Trump. (Photo: Hu Yousong/Xinhua/picture alliance)

Nidal was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at Fort Hood, a US Army base in Texas, in November 2009.

United States President Donald Trump has abandoned plans to livestream the execution of former US Army major Nidal Malik Hasan, saying the broadcast will not go ahead despite his belief that showing the execution could discourage others from carrying out terrorist attacks.

Nidal was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at Fort Hood, a US Army base in Texas, in November 2009.

He was an Army psychiatrist at the time of the attack and was sentenced to death by a military jury in 2013. His execution, by firing squad, is scheduled for December 3, 2026, at the same base.

The Pentagon had announced on October 6 that the execution would be live-streamed, allowing the public to watch the proceedings.

Trump had supported the idea initially, arguing that showing the execution could serve as a warning to others.

“Did I approve? Absolutely I did,” Trump told reporters when asked whether he had approved the livestream on October 9. When a reporter clarified whether he meant live streaming the execution, Trump replied, “Yeah.”

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However, in a statement on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump confirmed that Hasan would still be executed as scheduled, but the execution would not be live-streamed. According to Trump, the decision reflected concerns among people who would rather not watch someone die through a livestream.

The proposal had drawn objections from both Republicans and Democrats, with critics questioning the need to broadcast an execution for the public to watch. The UN human rights office separately raised concerns about the plan, warning that televising an execution could violate human rights protections.

“I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists 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 will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," Trump wrote.

According to the US President, immediate family members of those killed in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting would have the option of attending Nidal’s execution in person if they wished, allowing them to witness the proceedings without the event being broadcast to the public.

“That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness justice!” he wrote.