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Trump says decision on streaming Hasan execution still pending amid bipartisan backlash

President indicates livestream plan remains under review after Defense Secretary Hegseth surprised the public with the proposal

By LineZotpaper
Published
Read Time2 min
Sources4 outlets
President Donald Trump has said his administration is still deciding whether to livestream the execution of former army psychologist Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, as bipartisan criticism mounts over Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's public announcement of the plan.

President Donald Trump has indicated his administration is still making a decision on whether to go ahead with plans to livestream the execution of a former army major who killed 13 people in 2009, amid bipartisan criticism of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's idea.

"We're making a determination about that," Trump told reporters on Friday at the White House when asked about the plan to broadcast the execution of former army psychologist Nidal Hasan.

"But he will be killed. He will be through firing squad," Trump added. "I really don't care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him."

On Thursday Hegseth made a surprise announcement that the execution would be broadcast publicly. Republicans and Democrats alike, including some supporters of Trump, have said livestreaming the execution violates American values and could fuel terrorist recruitment. Senator John Curtis, a Utah Republican, urged Hegseth to reconsider.

"I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do," Representative Austin Scott, a Georgia Republican who has been critical of Hegseth in the past, said in a post on social media. "America is better than that."

Earlier on Friday, Vice President JD Vance had also cast doubt on whether the execution would be livestreamed and said he would not watch if it was.

The White House has yet to announce a final decision on the broadcasting format.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • The proposed livestream would break with long-standing US practice of keeping executions private, setting a controversial precedent.
  • Critics argue it would mirror propaganda tactics of militant groups and could be exploited for recruitment.
  • The case reignites debate over the death penalty, government transparency, and the role of public spectacle in punishment.

Background

Nidal Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist, was convicted for the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, that killed 13 and wounded 32 others. He was sentenced to death and has been on death row. The execution method chosen is death by firing squad. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's proposal to livestream the execution was first revealed on Thursday and immediately drew criticism from both parties.

Key Perspectives

[Trump administration]: The President has not ruled out livestreaming and focuses on carrying out the death sentence, leaving the format to be determined. [Bipartisan lawmakers]: Figures like Republican Representatives Austin Scott and Senator John Curtis support the execution but oppose livestreaming it, arguing it undermines American values and resembles Islamist propaganda. [Civil liberties and human rights groups]: While not directly quoted in sources, such organisations typically oppose public executions as degrading and potentially inciting violence.

What to Watch

  • A final White House decision on whether the execution will be livestreamed.
  • Legal challenges that could delay or block the broadcasting plan.
  • Reaction from military and veterans' groups, as well as victims' families, to the final format.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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