United States
English original
Trump says he was not involved in decision to livestream execution
President Trump said Friday night that he was not involved in the decision to livestream the execution but understood it.
President Trump said in a Friday-night interview with WSTM-TV in Syracuse, New York, that he had not been involved in the decision to livestream the execution. He said he understood the decision.
The Pentagon plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. The proposal has drawn criticism, including warnings that it could inspire further terrorism.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed Thursday that the Dec. 3 execution would be livestreamed. He said public viewing would demonstrate serious consequences. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth recommended the use of an Army firing squad and President Trump approved that plan.
Alonzo Lunsford, a former U.S. Army sergeant who survived being shot seven times at Fort Hood, said he supports execution by firing squad. He said it should not be viewed as entertainment.
Connected coverage
Related stories in one view
Continue in chronological order.
Politics ·
Vance doubts planned livestream of Hasan's execution, says he would not watch
Vice President JD Vance cast doubt Friday on whether the Pentagon would livestream the December execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan. Speaking to reporters in Hebron, Kentucky, he said he would not watch the execution if it were broadcast.
Asked about plans the Pentagon had confirmed Thursday, the Republican vice president said he did not know whether the broadcast would actually happen. He also urged people not to forget Hasan's crimes amid the controversy over the execution plans.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and injuring 32 others in a shooting at the military base in 2009.
Earlier Friday morning, the head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops condemned the government's decision to livestream Hasan's execution.
Archbishop Paul S. Coakley called for the decision to be reconsidered. In a statement, he said Hasan's actions could not be condoned but condemned the proposed public livestream as promoting a culture of death.
Community discussion
View board →Loading discussions…
Politics ·
Trump reverses Pentagon plan to livestream Nidal Hasan's execution
President Donald Trump said the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan would not be livestreamed. The decision reverses an earlier Pentagon announcement that the execution would be broadcast.
In a Truth Social post Thursday, Trump said he believed a livestream might deter others, but acknowledged that many people did not want to watch Hasan die. His statement addressed objections to showing the execution through streaming or other visual means.
Trump said the execution would proceed by firing squad as scheduled. He also said victims' immediate families could witness it in person if they choose, preserving that option while ruling out a livestream.
Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people, including 12 service members, in the Nov. 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas. The attack injured 32 other people.
The execution by firing squad is scheduled for Dec. 3 at Fort Hood.
Community discussion
View board →Loading discussions…
Politics ·
Trump cancels livestream of Nidal Hasan's execution
President Donald Trump has withdrawn plans to livestream the firing-squad execution of Nidal Hasan, a former U.S. Army psychiatrist. The cancellation concerns the planned online broadcast of his execution.
The reversal followed criticism both within the United States and abroad. Explaining his decision on Thursday, Trump said many people acting with good intentions would prefer not to watch Hasan's death.
Trump said Hasan would still be executed by firing squad as scheduled, but without a livestream. His statement retained the execution plan while canceling its broadcast.
The Pentagon had announced the previous week that Hasan would be executed by firing squad on December 3, 2026, with the event streamed online. Human rights groups criticized the proposal, as did the United Nations.
Hasan killed 13 unarmed U.S. soldiers and wounded 32 others in the 2009 shooting at a military base in Texas. His planned execution would be the first military execution in more than 60 years.
Trump said victims' families would retain the option of attending the execution in person if they wanted to witness it.
Community discussion
View board →Loading discussions…