*Yielding to public and political pressure, President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Nidal Hasan‘s execution by firing squad “will not be streamed,” reversing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s controversial pledge to broadcast the killing publicly.
Trump confirmed the execution will still take place as scheduled on Dec. 3 at Fort Hood, Texas, where Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 in a 2009 shooting he described as jihad.
Bipartisan Opposition and Public Opinion
The reversal follows widespread criticism. Outgoing Republican Sen. Thom Tillis condemned the plan, saying, “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.”
Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn’t watch a livestream. An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll found 8 in 10 Americans opposed broadcasting the execution.
Sources told ABC News that Trump advisers worried the stream could fuel anti-American propaganda.
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Victims’ Families May Attend in Person
Trump wrote that “many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die” and said victims’ families can view the execution in person if they choose.
The Pentagon had maintained the livestream was moving forward earlier this week. The Department of Defense has not responded to requests for comment on Trump’s cancellation.
It remains unclear whether Hegseth knew of Trump’s decision before the announcement. Public executions were once common in America, but the last widely recognized one occurred in Kentucky in 1936.
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