US President Donald Trump has reversed plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former US Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 soldiers at Fort Hood military base in Texas in 2009.
Trump announced the decision on Thursday, saying that "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device."
"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 and SCUM like Hasan," Trump wrote. "He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed."
The reversal came after widespread criticism from human rights groups, lawmakers, and international bodies. The United Nations had called the livestream plans "abhorrent." Some members of Trump's own Republican Party also condemned the proposal.
A group of 72 retired US generals, admirals, and other high-ranking military officers had urged authorities to cancel the broadcast, citing legal arguments and the dangerous consequences such a transmission could have.
Some legal experts warned that livestreaming the execution could violate domestic US law prohibiting the transmission of obscene, indecent, or graphic material. Others argued it would be impossible to prevent minors from accessing the stream. Critics also questioned whether a public execution would serve as a deterrent, warning it could instead glorify the attacker and inspire copycat violence.
The Pentagon had announced last week that Hasan would be executed on December 3, 2026, at 1pm US Central Time — the same time the 2009 shooting took place. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had described the event as "public," saying "people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."
Trump had initially said he "absolutely" supported the plan. Vice President JD Vance cast doubt on whether it would proceed, saying he would not watch it.
Trump said families of the victims may still view the execution in person if they choose. "They deserve to witness JUSTICE!" he wrote.
Hasan opened fire in a crowded medical building at Fort Hood on November 5, 2009, where soldiers awaiting deployment were receiving check-ups and vaccines. He killed 13 unarmed soldiers and wounded 32 others. The attack was the deadliest non-combat assault on an American military base on record.
At his court-martial in 2013, Hasan admitted he was the gunman and apologised for "any mistakes." He said he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military.
Hasan's execution by firing squad will be the first military execution in more than 60 years. A government execution has never previously been broadcast or livestreamed in the United States, according to death penalty experts. The last public execution in the country took place in 1936.
US military law requires that a military execution be approved by the president and undergo appellate review before proceeding.
Trump called Hasan "a very bad and evil man" and accused the administration of former President Barack Obama of an "intelligence failure" ahead of the attack.
