President Donald Trump is folding to bipartisan backlash and canceling Pete Hegseth’s plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. He is the former United States Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people, injuring 32, during a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas in 2009.
A week ago, the Department of Defense (War) Secretary, Hegseth, revealed the Pentagon’s plans to livestream Hasan’s death. On October 2, Trump ordered the United States Army to execute Hasan, and to do so by firing squad. To note, this marks the Army’s first execution since 1961. As for the method, the military has not used it since 1945.
Additionally, it’s reported that they don’t even have a modern procedure for administering a firing squad execution. Last Thursday (October 8), Hegseth confirmed the news and said Hasan’s execution would be livestreamed. Hasan — who has described the 2009 attack as an act of jihad — is scheduled to be executed on December 3.
His firing squad execution will take place at the same base where he committed the attack, Fort Hood. Hegseth also said that Hasan’s death will take place at 1 p.m., mirroring the approximate time he began shooting. Hegseth said:
“He’s gonna get a firing squad of soldiers. As it should be. We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it. That it’s public. Because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”
Donald Trump Reverses Pete Hegseth’s Plans To Livestream Fort Hood Shooter Nidal Hasan’s Firing Squad Execution
A week later, Donald Trump is now reversing Pete Hegseth’s plans to livestream Nidal Hasan’s firing squad execution. On Thursday (October 15), Trump took to Truth Social to announce the decision. He said he believed publicly broadcasting Hasan’s death could have served as a deterrent.
However, he ultimately agreed with critics. Trump said the immediate families of Hasan’s victims will be permitted to witness the execution in person. However, it will no longer be broadcast to the general public as previously announced by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.
“Nidal Malik Hasan, a former U.S. Army Major turned traitor, is a very bad and evil man, who killed 13 people, including a pregnant soldier, who died, along with her unborn son, and injured, very seriously, 32 more innocent people. Barack Hussein Obama’s Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) intercepted electronic communications between Hasan and the radical Yemeni-American cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki. When reviewed by his FBI terrorism task force, investigators concluded that Hasan’s emails were not a threat. This assessment of the Obama Administration’s actions was later considered to be a key intelligence failure. With all of that being said, 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 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. 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! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
The move arrives as the Trump administration faces backlash and criticism from not only Democrats, but Republicans as well. Even Fort Hood survivors warned that the broadcast could potential become propaganda for terrorist groups like al-Qaeda and ISIS. They are praising Trump’s decision to cancel the livestream and not make a “barbaric” spectacle of Hasan’s death.
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