{"id":929421,"date":"2026-10-15T19:58:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:58:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/929421\/"},"modified":"2026-10-15T19:58:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T19:58:15","slug":"donald-trump-cancels-pentagon-plan-to-livestream-firing-squad-execution-of-fort-hood-shooter-nidal-hasan-after-backlash","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/929421\/","title":{"rendered":"Donald Trump cancels Pentagon plan to livestream firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan after backlash"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Seung Min Kim<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"article-datetime\" class=\"sc-5cbbddda-5 hxoHkT\">Updated October 16, 2026 \u2014 4:46am,first published 1:28am<\/p>\n<p>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p id=\"gift-modal-heading\" class=\"sc-cc1ff359-7 cTuVzZ\">No gift articles left<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-cc1ff359-8 ctIrFC\">You&#8217;ve used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.<\/p>\n<p>Close<\/p>\n<p>AAA<\/p>\n<p>Washington: US President Donald Trump said the Pentagon will no longer live-stream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan, after the announcement faced bipartisan criticism <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/world\/north-america\/us-to-livestream-firing-squad-execution-of-fort-hood-shooter-20261009-p6144c.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">and Vice President JD Vance said he wouldn\u2019t watch it<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/truthsocial.com\/@realDonaldTrump\/posts\/117445309638266855\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" target=\"_blank\">said on social media on Thursday<\/a> (US time) that publicly airing the execution \u201cmight have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan\u201d.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Nidal Hasan in an undated photo provided by the Bell County Sheriff\u2019s Department.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/80106f5ed289dc3208ef65b6e14a984ab7f6fc6e.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/>Nidal Hasan in an undated photo provided by the Bell County Sheriff\u2019s Department.Bell County Sheriff&#8217;s Department via AP<\/p>\n<p>But, he continued, \u201cany very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The Pentagon has said Hasan\u2019s execution is scheduled for December 3.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed,\u201d Trump said. \u201cThat said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The announcement earlier this month from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that Hasan\u2019s execution would be public \u2013 and subsequent confirmation from the Pentagon that it would be live-streamed \u2013 prompted significant blowback from both Republicans and Democrats, with many pointing out that the images could be used to fuel radicalisation.<\/p>\n<p>Pentagon chief spokesperson Sean Parnell said Trump and Hegseth discussed the decision to drop the live-stream plans before the president\u2019s announcement on social media.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe secretary supports the president\u2019s decision, and they are completely aligned,\u201d Parnell said.<\/p>\n<p>When asked how the public execution comported with his Christian faith earlier this month, Vance said, \u201cI don\u2019t know that that\u2019s actually going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo whatever the controversy is about the method of the execution, I hope that people don\u2019t forget that this is a guy who brutally murdered a lot of innocent people,\u201d Vance said, adding: \u201cNow, that said, I mean, look, if it\u2019s ultimately live-streamed, I\u2019m not going to be watching it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The plan was scrapped a week after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced there would be a live-stream.\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/94785cd9883596d219d3c5edc64cca7f5ce641bf.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ldCIuB\"\/>The plan was scrapped a week after US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth announced there would be a live-stream.Bloomberg<\/p>\n<p>Vance is Catholic, and the church has long opposed capital punishment. The head of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops had condemned the Trump administration\u2019s decision to live-stream Hasan\u2019s execution, with Archbishop Paul S. Coakley saying the move was a \u201cbarbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Other top Republicans, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, voiced similar sentiments.<\/p>\n<p>For his part, the president has defended his decision to approve the use of a firing squad, <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/world\/north-america\/trump-says-decision-on-streaming-killer-s-execution-still-pending-20261010-p614d6.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">but had for days distanced himself from Hegseth\u2019s announcement that it would be public<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Related Article<a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/world\/north-america\/i-was-in-florida-when-ted-bundy-was-on-trial-my-mother-was-right-about-his-and-every-execution-20261015-p61529.html\" tabindex=\"-1\" class=\"sc-cba76dee-0 hdiTqm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\" \" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/5c526014b1f62a8ef2af634ca21619f706ec0d9f42e2f1bda3557f92953eb528.jpeg\"  class=\"sc-d34e428-1 ioInpc\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, they\u2019re making a determination about that,\u201d Trump said on Friday when asked about the live-stream. As for Hasan and the method of execution, Trump said then: \u201cHe will be killed. He will be, through firing squad. I really don\u2019t care how he goes, as long as he goes. And I think the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hasan, an army psychiatrist who held the rank of major, walked into a medical building on November 5, 2009, where soldiers were waiting in long lines to receive immunisations and medical clearance for deployment. He shouted, \u201cAllahu akbar\u201d \u2013 Arabic for \u201cGod is great\u201d \u2013 and opened fire with a laser-sighted handgun. He also shot at the backs of soldiers fleeing toward the parking lot.<\/p>\n<p>Hasan said it was an effort to stop them from going to Afghanistan and killing his fellow Muslims. A military judge barred him from presenting that as a defence during his 2013 trial. Hasan was left paralysed from the waist down after being shot in the back by law enforcement, and he now uses a wheelchair.<\/p>\n<p>Hasan could seek a lengthy delay of his execution, though given his behaviour at trial, he may not want to.<\/p>\n<p>The US military hasn\u2019t executed a service member by firing squad since World War II. The last military execution took place on April 13, 1961, when Army Private John Bennett was executed by hanging.<\/p>\n<p>AP<\/p>\n<p>Read more on US politics:<\/p>\n<p>Get a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what\u2019s making headlines around the world. <a class=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/newsletter-signup?newsletter=trump-biden-2020&amp;utm_source=EditorialArticle&amp;utm_medium=ArticleText&amp;utm_campaign=Newsletters\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Save<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-d1b14060-4 JmUoF\">You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n<p>Remove items from your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.smh.com.au\/goodfood\/saved\" class=\"sc-3f16ee48-12 sc-d1b14060-2 jyLmZI iQLtAb\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n<p id=\"gift-modal-heading\" class=\"sc-cc1ff359-7 cTuVzZ\">No gift articles left<\/p>\n<p class=\"sc-cc1ff359-8 ctIrFC\">You&#8217;ve used all of your gift articles. 3 more will become available on the 1st of every month.<\/p>\n<p>CloseFrom our partners<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Seung Min Kim Updated October 16, 2026 \u2014 4:46am,first published 1:28am Save You have reached your maximum number&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":929422,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[43,44,41,39,42,40],"class_list":["post-929421","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-headlines","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929421","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=929421"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/929421\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/929422"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=929421"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=929421"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=929421"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}