Trump Undecided On Pentagon Plan to Livestream Firing Squad
President Donald Trump says he will make the final call on whether the public can watch the scheduled execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 at Fort Hood.
The Pentagon said Hasan’s execution by firing squad is set for December 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, and initially announced plans to livestream it. Trump has approved the firing squad but said the broadcast decision remains open.
“He was vicious, he was violent,” Trump told reporters at the White House.
“There are two thoughts: don’t show it and show it,” the president continued. “Because, you know, by showing it, maybe other people won’t be doing what he did.”
Trump said he understood the military’s position but would decide whether the execution is shown.
“I’ll make a decision, ultimately,” he said. “I know what the military would like to do, but we’ll make a decision.”
A Pentagon official confirmed Thursday that the execution would be livestreamed, telling Fox News Digital, “It will be livestreamed. Details will follow,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recommended the firing squad, and Trump approved it.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell announced the authorization earlier in the week, saying, “Judgment day for Hasan has finally come.” Acting Army Secretary Adam Telle later set December 3 as the execution date.
If carried out, Hasan’s execution would be the first by the U.S. military since 1961 and the first military execution by firing squad since 1945. Hasan is being held on military death row at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Hasan carried out the attack on November 5, 2009, inside a soldier processing center at Fort Hood. He opened fire on unarmed soldiers and civilians who were preparing for deployment or undergoing medical evaluations. Witnesses testified that he shouted “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is great,” before shooting.
Responding base police officers shot Hasan, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. At his 2013 military trial, he acknowledged responsibility and offered little defense. He described himself as a soldier who had switched sides and said he acted to prevent U.S. troops from deploying to Afghanistan and fighting Muslims.
A military jury convicted Hasan of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder and sentenced him to death. The case then went through years of military appeals before the Trump administration approved the execution.
Vice President JD Vance has questioned whether the livestream will happen. Speaking with reporters Friday, he said, “I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen,” and added that he would not watch it himself.
The debate has exposed disagreement over how the sentence should be carried out, even among officials who support enforcing it. Supporters of a broadcast argue that showing the punishment could deter future attacks on U.S. service members. Others have questioned whether the execution should be turned into a public spectacle.
Retired Army Sgt. Alonzo Lunsford, who survived the Fort Hood attack after being shot seven times, supports carrying out Hasan’s sentence but has questioned whether it should be presented as entertainment. Lunsford has said he intends to witness the execution in person.