President Trump said Thursday that the livestreamed execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan has been canceled, reversing a decision by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
In a change of heart, the president said the former Army psychiatrist-turned-jihadist’s Dec. 3 death by firing squad will continue — only it will not be available for online viewing.
“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,” Mr. Trump said on social media.
People were interested in these podcasts
Hasan’s execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims in the Nov. 5, 2009, shooting at the Army post in central Texas, Mr. Trump said.
He was convicted of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder, and was sentenced to death in 2013.
The president approved the execution in early October, giving Mr. Hegseth’s firing squad recommendation the OK.
Mr. Hegseth announced plans to livestream the execution, saying: “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public.”
Last week, Mr. Trump said he had “absolutely” approved the livestream, but the next day said he had not made a final decision.
This will be the first execution by the military since 1961 and the first by firing squad since 1945.
Vice President J.D. Vance said he was not sure the government would livestream the execution, adding that he would not watch if it did.
Congressional members on both sides of the aisle condemned plans to broadcast the execution.
Critics decried the public viewing plan, comparing it to tactics used by terrorist organizations and warning it could turn the mass shooter into a martyr or serve as extremist propaganda.
Dozens of retired U.S. generals and admirals signed an open letter calling on the Trump administration to cancel the livestream, saying it would provide a global platform for jihadist propaganda and could potentially harm U.S. military personnel overseas.
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, who oversees Catholic pastoral services in the U.S. military, urged Catholic soldiers assigned to the firing squad to be excused from that duty, describing the execution as being against the teachings of the church.
The United Nations Human Rights Office warned that livestreaming the Hasan execution would violate prohibitions against torture.
Contact the author
Please read our comment policy before commenting.