Trump Reverses Course on Controversial Military Officer

President Donald Trump has scrapped plans to broadcast the execution of Nidal Hasan, a former military officer convicted of killing 13 U.S. service members. Trump announced this decision on Thursday (October 15) following widespread criticism within political circles.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that while a live broadcast could have shown the world how the United States deals with terrorists, many people of conscience would prefer not to witness such an event. Consequently, the execution will not be broadcast live via any medium.

Trump confirmed that Hasan’s execution will proceed as scheduled, carried out by a firing squad. Family members of the victims, however, will be permitted to be present at the scene, as they have a right to witness the delivery of justice.

Nidal Hasan was convicted for a 2009 shooting at the Fort Hood military base in Texas, which left 13 people dead and over 30 others wounded. According to U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, the execution is set to take place at the Texas military facility on December 3 at 1:00 PM.

In an interview last week with right-wing political activist Jack Posobiec, Hegseth had suggested that the public might be given the opportunity to watch the execution, arguing that it was necessary to demonstrate the severe consequences of such crimes.

However, once the plan became public, it drew criticism from leaders in both the Democratic and Republican parties. Concerns were raised that a live broadcast of the execution could potentially radicalize future terrorists or be used as a recruitment tool.

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson remarked that such footage could serve as a recruitment instrument for future terrorists. Vice President-elect JD Vance also indicated that he personally had no desire to watch the execution. Sean Parnell, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson, stated that discussions took place between Trump and Hegseth before the decision to cancel the live broadcast was announced. He added that the Secretary of Defense also concurs with the President’s decision.

According to Amnesty International, public executions have been reported in Afghanistan and Iran in 2025. The last public execution in the United States took place in 1936, when approximately 20,000 people gathered to witness the hanging of a man named Rainey Bethea.

Meanwhile, the last execution carried out by the U.S. military occurred in 1961. Should Hasan be executed by a firing squad, it would mark the first time the U.S. military has employed this method for an execution since 1945.