In 2009, Nidal Hasan, then an Army psychiatrist, opened fire at the Fort Hood military base in Texas. He shot and killed thirteen people and injured more than thirty others. Hasan was later convicted of murdering the thirteen victims and injuring the others. His age at the time of the scheduled execution is given as fifty‑six years.
Hasan was to be executed by a United States military firing squad. This method would have marked the first time since 1945 that the U.S. military carried out a death sentence by firing squad. The execution was originally set for December 3.
Early in the process, the Pentagon announced that the execution would be streamed live online. President Donald Trump initially supported the idea, describing a public broadcast as a strong deterrent that would show how the United States deals with terrorists. He later explained that he had weighed the pros and cons of such a spectacle. In his own words, he said the broadcast 'could have been a powerful deterrent,' but that many well‑intentioned people would prefer not to witness the death.
Facing mounting pressure, President Trump turned to his preferred platform, Truth Social, to announce the reversal.
The proposal to stream the execution drew sharp criticism from several quarters, including Republican officials. Vice President J.D. Vance publicly stated that he would not watch the execution. The public reaction was critical.
Facing mounting pressure, President Trump turned to his preferred platform, Truth Social, to announce the reversal. He declared that the live streaming of Hasan's execution would not take place. Family members of the victims are permitted to attend in person if they wish. The execution will proceed as planned, but it will not be broadcast live. Trump emphasized that while he had initially viewed the broadcast as a deterrent, he concluded that many honest, well‑meaning individuals would rather not see the condemned man die, whether via a live stream or any other visual medium.
The execution of Nidal Hasan remains set to move forward by firing squad, but without a live stream. The decision reflects a balance between the administration's desire to uphold justice for the victims and the widespread aversion to turning a state‑carried killing into a televised spectacle. The procedural details of the firing‑squad execution as originally announced are unchanged.