WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump stated Saturday that he has not reached a final determination on whether the military will livestream the firing squad execution of convicted Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan, following growing criticism from lawmakers and religious leaders.
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, Trump weighed arguments surrounding public visibility for the planned Dec. 3 execution. Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, was convicted and sentenced to death for the Nov. 5, 2009, mass shooting at the Texas military post that killed 13 people and wounded 32 others.
Trump acknowledged two viewpoints regarding the broadcast, noting that displaying the punishment could serve as a deterrent while also acknowledging hesitation. “I know what the military would like to do, but we’ll make a decision,” Trump said, according to NBC News.
Administration divided on broadcast
The president previously told reporters he approved of the broadcast before clarifying his role during an interview with CNY Central in Syracuse, New York. Trump stated he was not involved in the original decision to stream the execution, though he supported imposing the death sentence itself.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced earlier in the week that the execution would be made public and livestreamed online so citizens could see serious consequences for mass violence. The planned proceeding would mark the first military execution since 1961 and the military’s first by firing squad since 1945.
Vice President JD Vance expressed doubt that the broadcast would move forward as planned. Speaking Friday at an event in Ohio, Vance said he was uncertain the event would actually be streamed and added that he would not watch if it occurred.
Lawmakers and religious leaders push back
The livestream plan has provoked sharp rebukes across political lines. Several Republican lawmakers warned that broadcasting an execution is inappropriate for the nation.
“I absolutely support the sentence of death, but live-streaming executions is what jihadists do. America is better than that,” Rep. Austin Scott, R-Ga., wrote on X, as reported by ABC News.
Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, the top Democrat on the House Armed Services Committee, said broadcasting the punishment undermines the American justice system by turning the rule of law into entertainment. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., also condemned the plan, comparing public executions to practices seen in authoritarian regimes.
Religious figures voiced similar concerns. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned the entire procedure, warning that carrying out a public execution degrades national morality. In contrast, prominent Trump ally and Dallas pastor Robert Jeffress publicly voiced support for the decision.
Counterterrorism experts also cautioned that releasing video of Hasan’s death could backfire. Matthew Levitt of the Washington Institute for Counterterrorism and Intelligence warned that extremist groups could turn the broadcast into recruitment material, Fox News reported.
Survivors react to the plan
Survivors of the 2009 massacre expressed conflicted emotions about the Pentagon’s approach. Alonzo Lunsford, a retired staff sergeant who was shot seven times during the attack, said he supports Hasan facing a firing squad and plans to attend in person. However, Lunsford argued the event should not be turned into public entertainment.
“Don’t do that because when you do that, you’re dishonoring those that made the supreme sacrifice, those who are no longer here,” Lunsford told Fox News Digital, suggesting any broadcast should be limited strictly to victims and their families.
Trump did not specify when he will make his final ruling on whether cameras will capture the execution before the December date.
