President Donald Trump is considering whether to cancel plans to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, the US Army officer convicted in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. The proposal has raised concerns within the administration over public reaction and the risk of helping terrorist groups spread propaganda.
Trump supports executing Hasan by firing squad. However, he was not fully aware of the plan to show the event live when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth first announced it last week, according to people familiar with private talks.
Sources said Trump later learned that Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair. Hasan was shot in the back by law enforcement during the Fort Hood attack in Texas in 2009.
The information led Trump to question whether the execution should be shown to the public. He has since asked advisers and allies for their views on the plan.
One person familiar with the talks said Trump understands the power of images. This may be a key reason he is considering ending the livestream plan.
Another concern is that a public execution could give terrorist groups a chance to use Hasan as a symbol. A Trump adviser said the president had heard warnings that extremist groups might portray Hasan as a martyr and use the event to support their cause.
Trump discussed the issue with reporters over the weekend. He said there were arguments both for and against showing the execution and that he would make the final choice.
“He was vicious. He was violent,” Trump said of Hasan.
The president said some people believed that showing the execution could deter others from carrying out similar attacks. He also acknowledged that others wanted the event kept private.
Trump said he knew what the military wanted but would make the final decision himself. His comments showed that the administration had not settled the question of whether the public would be allowed to watch.
The Pentagon is also reviewing its plans, according to a source familiar with the discussions. Even if officials go ahead with a broadcast, it may end before the firing squad opens fire.
The possible change is linked in part to fears that the final moments could become propaganda material for terrorist groups. Officials are weighing whether a public display would discourage future violence or create new risks.
Hegseth’s office has not issued an updated statement on the livestream plan. It remains unclear whether the Pentagon will broadcast the entire event, stop the feed before the shots are fired, or cancel the broadcast.
The proposal has drawn criticism from both major political parties. Earlier reports also said that people across the Pentagon and the Army were caught off guard by the announcement.
Trump said on Friday that he had not taken part in the original decision to livestream the execution. However, he said he understood why some officials wanted the event shown.
The debate comes as the Army prepares for an execution that would be rare in its history. Hasan was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens of others in the November 2009 attack at Fort Hood, a major US Army base in Texas.
The shooting shocked the country and led to years of legal proceedings. Hasan was later sentenced to death for the killings.
Hegseth first recommended execution by firing squad, and Trump approved that method. The choice of execution method is separate from the current debate over whether the event should be shown live.
The execution is scheduled for December 3 at Fort Hood. If it takes place as planned, it would be the first execution of a US Army soldier since World War II. It would also mark the Army’s first execution of a service member in 65 years.
For now, the administration has not announced a final decision on the livestream. Trump and Pentagon officials continue to weigh the possible impact of showing the event.
The outcome will decide whether the public sees the execution in full, sees only part of it, or is unable to watch it at all.
