President Trump scrapped the Pentagon’s plan to let the public watch a military execution by firing squad for the first time in decades, after an outcry that spanned both political parties.
Quick Take
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced on October 8 that the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan would be livestreamed to the public.
- Trump approved the plan, then reversed course a week later on October 15, citing opposition from “many very good and well meaning people.”
- Hasan is still scheduled to die by firing squad on December 3 at Fort Hood, where he killed 13 people in 2009.
- Republicans, Democrats, religious leaders, and United Nations officials all criticized the livestream idea before it was canceled.
Pentagon Announces Unprecedented Public Broadcast
Hegseth told reporters on October 8 that Americans should be able to watch Hasan die. “People need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things,” he said. The Pentagon confirmed days later that the execution “will be livestreamed,” though officials did not release details about how the broadcast would work.
Army Secretary Adam Telle had already set December 3 as the execution date at Fort Hood, the Texas base where Hasan opened fire in 2009. The firing squad method itself marked a rare moment in modern American justice, since the last military execution by firing squad happened during World War II.
Trump had signed off on both the firing squad method and the livestream recommendation, according to a Pentagon official who spoke to reporters. The decision set up what would have been the first time the general public could watch a U.S. military execution happen live, rather than through the small, authorized witness lists normally used for such events.
Bipartisan Backlash Builds Fast
Criticism poured in from across the political spectrum almost immediately. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy called the plan “disgusting” and compared it to executions carried out by terrorist groups. Republican lawmakers also pushed back, with some warning that broadcasting a killing mirrored tactics used by America’s enemies rather than reflecting American values.
Catholic Church leaders joined the criticism too. The backlash crossed party lines in a way rarely seen on other hot-button issues, with Democrats and Republicans alike questioning whether turning an execution into a mass broadcast event served any real purpose beyond spectacle. United Nations human rights officials separately called the proposal “abhorrent” and said it could amount to a form of torture under international law.
Trump Reverses Course
Trump ultimately pulled the plug on October 15, telling the public that while livestreaming “might have been a strong deterrent,” too many well-meaning Americans did not want to watch a man die on their screens. The reversal came just one week after Pentagon officials had publicly confirmed the broadcast plan, exposing a visible split between the defense secretary’s messaging and the president’s final call.
The flip-flop raised questions about how the decision was made in the first place. No public evidence shows the administration conducted a formal study on whether broadcasting an execution actually deters future attacks, nor did officials release a risk assessment addressing concerns about trauma to victims’ families or the possibility that footage could spread as propaganda.
THIS IS HUGE: Trump just caved. Pete Hegseth's plan to livestream a firing squad execution is dead.
Trump announced Thursday on Truth Social that the December 3 execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will not be streamed, according to The Independent. pic.twitter.com/3gR77u9JAI
— WWCNN (@theusastartup) October 15, 2026
Legal experts also noted that civilian executions are typically conducted behind closed doors, with access limited to a small group of authorized witnesses, legal counsel, and chosen media representatives. The proposed livestream would have expanded that access to anyone with an internet connection, a shift that drew comparisons to historical public executions once treated as community spectacles rather than solemn legal proceedings.
What Happens Next
Hasan’s execution is still set for December 3, but it will proceed without the cameras rolling for a global audience. The episode leaves unanswered questions about how closely military leaders were consulted before the livestream was announced, and whether any written legal opinion ever supported the plan beyond the defense secretary’s public remarks. For now, the administration’s quick reversal suggests the idea collapsed under the weight of bipartisan objection rather than careful internal review.
Sources:
politico.com, abc.net.au, cnn.com, bbc.com
