Trump scraps livestream of Fort Hood shooter’s execution

WASHINGTON (Gray DC) - President Donald Trump on Thursday canceled plans to livestream the execution of the gunman responsible for the 2009 Fort Hood mass shooting, following bipartisan criticism from lawmakers, religious leaders and some survivors of the attack.

The decision comes just one week after the Pentagon announced that Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others, would be executed by firing squad in a broadcast available to the public.

In a lengthy post on Truth Social, Trump defended the original proposal as a potential deterrent to terrorism but acknowledged concerns about broadcasting the execution.

“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,” Trump wrote. “But, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.”

Trump had previously expressed support for the livestream, telling reporters Oct. 9 that he approved of the plan. But the proposed broadcast quickly drew opposition from across the political spectrum.

Vice President JD Vance and House Speaker Mike Johnson stopped short of condemning the proposal but said they would not watch the execution. Other lawmakers, including some Republicans, publicly opposed the livestream.

Some survivors of the Fort Hood shooting also raised concerns about broadcasting Hasan’s death, while the Vatican’s Secretary of State criticized the proposed spectacle.

Hasan, a former U.S. Army major and psychiatrist, opened fire at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009, killing 13 people and wounding dozens more. During his military trial, Hasan acknowledged carrying out the shooting and presented his actions as religiously motivated.

Despite canceling the livestream, Trump said the firing squad execution would proceed as planned. However, he clarified that only the victims’ immediate family members would be allowed to watch the event if they chose to.

The controversy has prompted a legislative response. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) introduced legislation Thursday that would prohibit the public broadcasting of military executions, seeking to prevent similar proposals in the future.