President Trump on Friday sent conflicting signals about whether the execution of former Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, the convicted Fort Hood shooter, will be livestreamed as the Pentagon has announced. Speaking to reporters before departing for a rally in Syracuse, N.Y., Trump said the decision was still being deliberated but emphasized that Hasan would be put to death by firing squad.
“Well, they’re making a determination about that, but he will be killed, it will be through firing squad,” Trump said. “He killed 13, 14 people, badly wounded 20-some-odd people and he’s totally nuts.”
He added: “So, I really don’t care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him.”
The president did not answer whether he would personally watch the broadcast. The Pentagon said Thursday that Hasan’s execution, scheduled for Dec. 3, would be livestreamed—marking the military’s first execution in six decades. The plan immediately sparked backlash from Republicans and Democrats alike.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) wrote on X that while he supports the death penalty for Hasan, “making his execution public and streaming it? Beyond disgusting.” He added, “Public executions are what oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan do. It should not be happening in America.”
Senate Armed Services Committee ranking member Jack Reed (D-R.I.) called the plan “a gift to anti-American terrorist recruiters” and “absolutely shameful and damaging to America’s interests and core values.” The criticism echoes earlier calls from Democrats, including Sen. Jon Ossoff’s condemnation of Hegseth and Sen. Mark Kelly’s demand for Hegseth’s removal.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking to reporters Friday in Lima, Ohio, said he would not watch the livestream. “I’ve seen those announcements. I don’t know if that’s actually going to happen,” Vance said. “So whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don’t forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people. Now that said, if it’s ultimately livestreamed, I’m not going to be watching it.”
Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, opened fire at Fort Hood in 2009, killing 13 people and wounding more than 30 others. He was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013. The decision to livestream his execution has reignited debates over the death penalty, government transparency, and the militarization of public spectacle.
As the Dec. 3 date approaches, the White House and Pentagon face mounting pressure to clarify whether the broadcast will proceed—and what it means for America’s international standing. The controversy also comes amid a broader political firestorm over the administration’s recent Russian diesel deal and other high-profile moves.
