Trump says military execution of Fort Hood shooter will not be livestreamed
Nidal Hasan, charged with killing 13 people and wounding 31 in a November 2009 shooting spree at Fort Hood, is pictured in an undated handout photo obtained by Reuters on June 29, 2012. Photo: REUTERS
US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the execution of the Fort Hood gunman would not be livestreamed, but that immediate families of the victims would be able to view it in person.
"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," Trump wrote.
"He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed. That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness justice!"
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) October 15, 2026
Some of Trump's fellow Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, as well as religious leaders and international observers, had expressed doubts about the Pentagon's plan to livestream the December 3 execution of Nidal Hasan.
Recent polls have also shown a majority of Americans opposed livestreaming it.
Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, was found guilty in a military trial of fatally shooting 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009.