Donald Trump withdrew his earlier backing for broadcasting the execution of Nidal Hasan — the former Army psychiatrist convicted of carrying out the 2009 Fort Hood attack that left 13 service members dead — via livestream. The December 3 date for Hasan's execution by firing squad remained in place, per Trump's account, though the proposal to broadcast the event live was withdrawn after it drew considerable public opposition.
Ahead of the vote, Trump had put his weight behind the proposal, contending that televising the execution would act as a deterrent against terrorism. He acknowledged that many people would prefer not to witness the execution, while also expressing the view that broadcasting it publicly could have served as a deterrent, demonstrating to an international audience how the country responds to those convicted of terrorism.
The execution of Hasan by firing squad remained on schedule, though no broadcast or stream of the event would be permitted. Trump noted that those who lost family members in the attack would be able to attend in person, adding that their presence at the proceedings represented an opportunity to witness accountability firsthand.
The Defense Department disclosed the previous Tuesday that a December 3 execution date had been set for Hasan. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the proceeding would be broadcast live so the public could, in his words, "understand the consequences" of such attacks.
The Friday prior, Trump had expressed support for the proposal, describing Hasan as "totally nuts," and stated that regardless of the method used, he wanted Hasan removed, adding that the death penalty struck him as an appropriate outcome. The President further expressed full support for broadcasting the execution as a livestream, though Pentagon officials had yet to reach a final decision on whether that transmission would go forward.
On November 5, 2009, gunfire broke out inside a Fort Hood medical facility where troops awaiting deployment had gathered for routine health screenings and inoculations — an attack carried out by Hasan, who had served as an Army psychiatrist. Forty-five people were caught in the gunfire at the installation: thirteen unarmed service members who did not survive and thirty-two others who were wounded, a death toll that ranks the attack among the deadliest acts of violence ever recorded at a military base on home soil outside of wartime.
During court proceedings, Hasan told the judge that the killings were his doing, and he offered an apology for what he described as "any mistakes." His stated motivation, as conveyed in court, was a conviction that his actions shielded Afghan Muslims and Taliban members from American military forces.
When carried out, the procedure would mark the first time the American military has put a condemned person to death in over six decades. Any execution carried out under the rules governing the US military requires a presidential sign-off before it can proceed. Appellate review forms another layer of this process, with a higher court scrutinising the case and delivering a ruling on whether the execution may lawfully go forward.
Carrying out executions in public settings remains a rarity across most of the world. Amnesty International's annual tallying placed the worldwide total of executions at more than 2,700 across 17 nations in 2025, with verified public-facing procedures confined to just two of those countries. Across that same period, the group's monitoring logged 11 instances of state-carried-out executions conducted in public view within Iran, alongside a further six documented in Afghanistan.
