The US president has canceled the Pentagon’s plan to publicly stream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan after protests.
Published October 15, 2026
US President Donald Trump said the execution of a man who killed several service members at Fort Hood military base in 2009 will not be livestreamed.
Thursday’s statement represented a reversal by the administration, which had announced last week that the Pentagon would livestream the executions. It was the first public execution in the United States since 1936, and successive administrations have criticized foreign governments for carrying out such executions.
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In his post, President Trump called convicted gunman Nidal Malik Hassan a “very evil, evil man.” He also accused former President Barack Obama’s administration of an “intelligence failure” ahead of the attack in Texas that killed 13 people.
“That said, while I think streaming the execution for all to see may have been a strong deterrent for the world to witness how the United States deals with terrorists and scum like Hassan, I think many very good and well-intentioned people would not want to see his death through streaming or any other visual device,” the US president wrote.
“President Trump will die by firing squad as scheduled, but this event will not be streamed,” he said, adding that the victim’s next of kin would be able to watch the execution.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced last week that the execution would be “public.”
“Because people need to understand that there are serious consequences to this type of situation,” Hegseth said in an interview with right-wing media personality Jack Posobiec.
He added that the execution will take place on December 3, at 1pm Central Time (6pm GMT), the same day the 2009 shooting occurred.
The announcement drew condemnation from some members of Congress, including President Trump’s own Republicans.
Some experts said live-streaming the killing could violate U.S. domestic laws that prohibit the transmission of obscene, pornographic, or graphic material. Some argue that it is impossible to prevent minors from accessing live streams.
Critics also question Hegseth’s contention that public executions act as a deterrent and instead risk glorifying the attackers and inspiring copycats.
