Trump calls off livestream of Nidal Hasan's execution

• Hasan's execution remains set for December 3, 2026 -the first US military execution in 60+ years- with victims' families attending.
• UN officials, rights groups, and legal experts denounced the proposed broadcast as abhorrent and illegal under Army rules.
• US War Secretary Pete Hegseth backed the cancellation after consulting Trump, despite earlier defending the broadcast.

US President Donald Trump has canceled plans to livestream the execution of former US army psychiatrist Nidal Hasan by firing squad, reversing a previous decision following widespread criticism domestically and around the world.

Trump had previously stated that he approved of broadcasting the death of the Fort Hood attacker, whereas US Vice-President JD Vance had expressed doubts about whether it would happen and stated he would not watch it.

The decision to cancel the livestream came after mounting pushback. On Thursday, Trump stated that "many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die."

"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 in a post on Truth Social. "He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed."

Execution set to proceed 

US President Trump noted that the families of the victims will still be permitted to view the execution in person if they choose to do so, stating that "they deserve to witness JUSTICE!"

The announcement comes after the Pentagon stated last week that Hasan would be executed on December 3, 2026, by firing squad and that the event would be livestreamed, drawing swift condemnation from human rights organizations and the United Nations, which called the plan "abhorrent."

According to Amnesty International, while over 2,700 executions took place across 17 countries last year, only Iran (11) and Afghanistan (6) were known to have carried out public executions in 2025.

US War Secretary Pete Hegseth initially defended the decision to air the execution online, stating that "people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things."

However, as backlash grew, Trump hedged his position on Friday, stating he "absolutely" approved of the plan while noting the Pentagon was still "making a determination."

Trump also described Hasan as "totally nuts," adding: "I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him."

Following Trump's announcement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated that Hegseth spoke with the president beforehand and that "the Secretary supports the President's decision, and they are completely aligned."

John Galligan, an attorney for Hasan handling civil matters, told the BBC that Trump's reversal "comes as no surprise," calling Hegseth's initial proposal "a dumb decision" that "violated the Army's own regulation."

Galligan noted that Hasan is paralyzed from the chest down -a fact he alleged Trump was unaware of when approving the plan- and added that "the damage has already been done - the Army is now just trying to clean up the mess. It will permanently remain a stain on our military justice system."

Hasan opened fire on November 5, 2009, inside a crowded medical facility where deploying soldiers were awaiting check-ups and vaccines, marking the deadliest non-combat attack on an American military base in history.

Hasan admitted in court to being the gunman and apologized for "any mistakes," stating during his 2013 court martial that he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military.

Under US military law, executions require presidential approval as well as appellate review by a higher court before proceeding.