Trump Cancels Fort Hood Shooter's Execution Livestream, Says People 'Would Rather Not Watch Him Die'

US President Donald Trump has scrapped plans to livestream Nidal Malik Hasan's scheduled execution, saying many people would rather not watch him die.

Trump announced the decision on Thursday, 15 October, following bipartisan criticism of the proposed broadcast. Hasan's execution by firing squad remains scheduled for 3 December 2026.

Trump Scraps Hasan Execution Livestream

In a social media post, Trump acknowledged that broadcasting the execution might have served as a deterrent but said many people would prefer not to witness it.

He said publicly airing the execution 'might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan'.

However, he added that 'many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device'.

'He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,' Trump wrote.

Trump said the victims' immediate families could witness the execution in person if they wished.

Vice President JD Vance had also expressed reservations about watching the execution and questioned whether the proposed livestream would take place.

Asked earlier this month how a public execution would align with his Christian faith, Vance said: 'I don't know that that's actually going to happen.'

Vance stressed the seriousness of Hasan's crimes, saying the controversy over the execution should not overshadow the victims. 'I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people,' he said.

The vice president added: 'Now, that said, I mean, look, if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it.'

His remarks stopped short of calling for the broadcast to be cancelled.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced earlier this month that Hasan's execution would be public. The Pentagon subsequently confirmed the livestream plan, prompting criticism that broadcasting an execution could provide propaganda material for extremists.

Fort Hood Shooting Killed 13 People

Hasan, a former US Army major and psychiatrist, carried out the attack at Fort Hood, a US military installation in Texas, on 5 November 2009. He opened fire in a medical building where soldiers were preparing for deployment. The attack killed 13 people and wounded dozens of others.

The shooting led to a military prosecution, and Hasan was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013.

Hasan said he wanted to prevent soldiers from deploying to Afghanistan and killing fellow Muslims. However, a military judge barred him from presenting that argument as a defence during his 2013 trial.

Trump approved his execution by firing squad earlier this month. The planned broadcast then became a separate point of controversy, drawing criticism from both Republicans and Democrats.

The debate concerned whether the execution should be shown publicly, rather than whether Hasan had been convicted of the killings.

Execution Date Remains Unchanged

The Pentagon has said Hasan's execution is scheduled for 3 December 2026. Trump's announcement withdraws the public broadcast without cancelling the execution itself.

Trump had presented a livestream as a possible deterrent, while critics warned that distributing footage could amplify extremist messaging. Those competing arguments formed part of the debate over the proposed broadcast, rather than established conclusions about its likely effects.

The reversal follows bipartisan criticism and Vance's declaration that he would not watch the proceedings. Trump's announcement leaves the firing-squad execution scheduled to proceed without a public livestream.