Trump says execution of Fort Hood shooter will not be livestreamed

US President Donald Trump cancels plans to livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan.

The full report

US President Donald Trump has announced that the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan will not be livestreamed. The decision comes after bipartisan backlash regarding the Pentagon's plans to livestream the execution.

Trump said the execution can be viewed in person by families of the victims if they wish. The announcement comes after the Trump administration faced criticism from both Republicans and Democrats, as well as rights groups and many in the international community.

Vice President JD Vance also said he would not watch such a livestream. Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social that publicly airing the execution 'might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan.'

However, Trump added that 'any very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.' Trump said he 'will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed.'

The execution of Hasan is scheduled for December 3 at the US military prison in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The public execution idea drew wide condemnation from lawmakers of both main US parties, Republicans and Democrats, including top House Republican Mike Johnson, who said it could be a 'recruiting tool for future terrorists.'

Dozens of retired US military officers also published an open letter warning against broadcasting the execution, saying it 'will taint the honor of the military that employs it, and a nation that allows it.' The letter added that such a move would 'ensure that Hasan becomes a martyr for attacking and killing his fellow soldiers,' said the officers, including more than 40 generals and admirals.