Zillar Barta Desk,Washington: US President Donald Trump has announced that the scheduled execution of former US Army Major Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of carrying out the deadly 2009 Fort Hood shooting in Texas, will not be livestreamed. The decision reverses an earlier plan announced by the Pentagon and follows criticism from politicians, religious leaders and members of the public.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump confirmed that Hasan’s execution would proceed by firing squad as scheduled on December 3, 2026. However, the execution will not be broadcast to the public. The immediate families of the victims will be permitted to witness the execution in person if they choose to attend.
The announcement follows controversy surrounding the Pentagon’s earlier decision to make the execution publicly viewable through a livestream. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had previously supported the proposal, arguing that the public should understand the consequences of such crimes.
Trump initially expressed support for making the execution public, suggesting that broadcasting it could serve as a deterrent. However, following widespread criticism, he acknowledged that many people would prefer not to watch an execution through a screen or other visual medium.
The decision has attracted attention because it reverses a highly controversial proposal involving the public broadcasting of a military execution. Critics had raised concerns that such a broadcast could glorify violence, encourage radicalisation or expose viewers, including children, to graphic content.
Nidal Malik Hasan, a former US Army major and psychiatrist, was convicted by a military court for the November 5, 2009, shooting at Fort Hood, a major US Army installation in Texas.
During the attack, Hasan killed 13 people and wounded 32 others. The victims included military personnel preparing for deployment. The incident became one of the deadliest shootings at a US military installation.
Hasan was found guilty of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder following a military trial in 2013. He was sentenced to death.
The scheduled execution would mark a rare use of capital punishment within the US military justice system. The last US military execution took place in 1961, while an execution by firing squad would be the first of its kind in the US Army since the Second World War.
In his social media post, Trump also criticised the administration of former President Barack Obama over its handling of intelligence information before the Fort Hood shooting.
The president described the incident as an intelligence failure and argued that the authorities should have done more to prevent the attack. The remarks have renewed political debate over how intelligence agencies assess potential threats and share information before acts of mass violence.
The shooting has long prompted scrutiny of the circumstances leading up to the attack and the effectiveness of measures designed to identify and prevent threats within the military.
The proposal to livestream Hasan’s execution generated criticism across political lines. Opponents questioned whether broadcasting a death sentence would be an appropriate form of punishment or an effective deterrent against future violence.
Some critics also warned that publicising the execution could give the perpetrator additional notoriety and potentially be exploited by extremist groups.
Trump’s latest announcement settles the immediate question of whether the execution will be broadcast, but it does not change the announced method or schedule. The execution remains set for December 3, subject to any legal developments that could affect the proceedings.
Under the announced arrangements, the execution will take place by firing squad, with immediate family members of the victims eligible to attend in person if they wish. The Pentagon’s earlier livestream proposal has been withdrawn following the president’s decision.
The case continues to raise difficult questions about military justice, capital punishment, public accountability and the limits of broadcasting state executions.
For now, the administration’s position is that Hasan’s sentence will proceed as scheduled, but without a public livestream.
The decision marks a reversal in the administration’s approach to the execution, while the wider debate over punishment, deterrence and public access to military justice remains unresolved.
