Trump Scraps Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Killer’s Execution After Outcry

The execution of convicted Fort Hood killer Nidal Malik Hasan will no longer be streamed live.

President Trump walked back the plan on Thursday, Oct. 15.

In a Truth Social post, Trump called Hasan “a very bad and evil man,” but admitted criticism over allowing the public to watch the execution had grown too loud.

“I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan,” he wrote. “But, many very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device.”

He then confirmed the plan for the livestream was DOA.

“He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,” Trump continued. “That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose. They deserve to witness JUSTICE! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”

Hasan, a former U.S. Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others in the 2009 attack at Fort Hood in Texas. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013.

Trump approved Hasan’s death sentence on Oct. 2, the Army announced. The execution is scheduled for Dec. 3 at the military base.

As previously reported, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth embraced the idea of making the gunman’s execution available for public viewing.

“We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public, because people need to understand that there are serious consequences for these types of things,” Hegseth said in an interview earlier this month.

The backlash was swift. Former Secretary of State and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton shared an article about the plan on social media with a blunt response.

“A barbaric idea, beneath our dignity as a country. Push back on this,” Clinton wrote.

U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, also condemned the proposal.

“Hasan should face the death penalty, but making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting. Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America,” Tillis said in a statement on social media.