President Trump on Thursday abruptly halted the Pentagon's plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the former Army major convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009. In a Truth Social post, Trump said a public execution could serve as a deterrent but that he did not want to subject "good and well-meaning" people to the sight. Critics had also warned the video could become a recruitment tool for terrorists.
The reversal came after a week of mixed signals from the White House. Vice President Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) both said they would not watch the broadcast. A poll released Thursday showed overwhelming public opposition to the idea.
Hasan, an American-born Muslim, opened fire at the Texas base in 2009, killing 13 and wounding 32 others. He later said he had "switched sides" in the U.S.-Afghanistan war.
Hegseth's surprise announcement
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a week ago that Hasan's Dec. 3 execution would be open to the public. No legal execution has ever been broadcast in the U.S., and the last public execution was more than 60 years ago.
Hegseth has long pushed for "the harshest lawful punishment" for Hasan. In September 2025, he told reporters he had asked Trump for final approval. In an Oct. 8 interview on Real America's Voice aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, Hegseth outlined the plan: "Of course, we're going to do it at Fort Hood. We're going to do it on a Thursday, we're going to do it at 1 o'clock, which is when he did it, and it's going to be soldiers with rifles executing the firing squad." He added, "We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things." Army rules allow at least two media outlets to be present.
Trump reverses course amid backlash
Trump reversed the decision Thursday as lawmakers on both sides urged reconsideration. He said that while streaming the execution "might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan," "many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device." The president called Hasan a "traitor [and] very bad and evil man."
He blamed the Obama administration for a "key intelligence failure" after investigators concluded emails Hasan had sent were not a threat. Trump said Hasan will die as scheduled, but only immediate victims' family members can watch in person if they choose. "They deserve to witness JUSTICE!" he wrote.
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Trump and Hegseth had spoken about the decision ahead of the president's post. "The Secretary supports the President's decision, and they are completely aligned," Parnell said. The episode marks another instance of Hegseth aligning with Trump after a controversial proposal.
Cool responses from Trump and Vance earlier
The reversal followed openly skeptical comments from Trump and Vance over the past week. "We're looking at it," Trump told reporters earlier. Axios reported Monday that Trump had privately told someone close to him the livestream "might not happen." Vance told reporters last week he wouldn't watch but defended the execution. "So, whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don't forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people," Vance said. "Now, that said, I mean, look, if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it," he added.
Hegseth stirs frustration on both sides
The livestream idea drew bipartisan criticism, adding to growing frustration with Hegseth. Johnson, a key administration ally, said he wouldn't watch and that some colleagues opposed it. "The concern would be that it would create a video that would be a recruiting tool for future terrorists," Johnson said on CBS News. "I need to tell the White House what some of my colleagues think about that, and not everybody's in favor of the idea," he said.
Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) spoke out against the plan. "There is no need to livestream any execution, including this one," she said on X. "I would expect this from terrorists and dictators, but not here in America." Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) called on Trump to remove Hegseth. "There is no doubt that Nidal Hasan is a murderer who took the lives of 13 people and injured dozens. He should face justice for that. But a public execution? Here in the United States?" Kelly wrote on X.
Hegseth has also angered lawmakers with his purge of senior Pentagon officials and generals who don't align with his anti-DEI and "anti-woke" policies, as well as his role as a key champion of the Iran war. The controversy comes as Trump has taken to promoting the death penalty in speeches, a theme that resonates with his base but has drawn scrutiny. The White House has not commented further on the execution plans.
