Trump privately doubts livestreaming Hasan execution
President Donald Trump has privately expressed doubts about livestreaming the firing-squad execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan, according to four people who have spoken with the president. A senior administration official stated that Trump has received significant negative input regarding the plan from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and advisers both inside and outside the White House. One confidant who does not work in the administration told Axios that Trump indicated the livestream of the December 3 execution might not happen. The source noted that Trump did not sound particularly enthusiastic about webcasting the event and has been calling around to ask others for their opinions. Hasan faces execution at Fort Hood in Texas, the same location where he killed 13 people during a shooting rampage 17 years ago. He would be the first person in the United States to have his execution livestreamed if the plan proceeds. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the proposal on Thursday during an appearance on Real America's Voice, stating that making the execution public would help people understand the serious consequences of such actions. The idea has been condemned domestically and internationally. In public statements, Trump has shifted his position over several days. Early Friday evening, he told reporters that he absolutely approved of the plan. Later that same night, he offered a more nuanced view, noting that the decision was not his but that he understood the reasoning behind setting an example. On Saturday, Trump asserted that he would make the final decision, acknowledging competing views on whether showing the execution might deter others from committing similar acts. Vice President JD Vance has signaled his own skepticism about whether the livestream will occur. Speaking off the cuff to reporters on Friday, Vance said he did not know if it would actually happen and stated that he would not be watching it. Sources indicate Vance has privately repeated these sentiments to others. While Trump, Vance, and other administration officials support Hasan's execution itself, they are grappling with competing pressures regarding the method of public witnessing. One confidant described a tension between wanting Hasan to face public humiliation and not wanting to make him a martyr. Another source questioned the optics of livestreaming an older man in a wheelchair who was permanently injured when shot during his capture in 2009. The disagreement over the livestream adds to existing friction between Vance and Hegseth, who have also held opposing views on military force in Yemen and Iran and Army leadership, although advisers say their personal relationship remains good. Historically, executions in the United States have been witnessed only by family members or select media, with public square executions discontinued in the 1930s. The 2001 execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was viewable by loved ones and bombing survivors via a private closed-circuit telecast. Hasan fatally shot 13 people, including a pregnant woman, and wounded 32 others on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Processing Center while yelling "Allahu Akbar." The rampage was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11. A special Senate report criticized the military for political correctness that blinded authorities to Hasan's radicalization. One administration official stated that while they bet the president will not authorize the livestream, Hasan will be executed for his crimes regardless.
President Donald Trump has privately expressed doubts about livestreaming the firing-squad execution of former Army Major Nidal Hasan, according to four people who have spoken with the president. A senior administration official stated that Trump has received significant negative input regarding the plan from a bipartisan group of lawmakers and advisers both inside and outside the White House. One confidant who does not work in the administration told Axios that Trump indicated the livestream of the December 3 execution might not happen. The source noted that Trump did not sound particularly enthusiastic about webcasting the event and has been calling around to ask others for their opinions. Hasan faces execution at Fort Hood in Texas, the same location where he killed 13 people during a shooting rampage 17 years ago. He would be the first person in the United States to have his execution livestreamed if the plan proceeds. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the proposal on Thursday during an appearance on Real America's Voice, stating that making the execution public would help people understand the serious consequences of such actions. The idea has been condemned domestically and internationally. In public statements, Trump has shifted his position over several days. Early Friday evening, he told reporters that he absolutely approved of the plan. Later that same night, he offered a more nuanced view, noting that the decision was not his but that he understood the reasoning behind setting an example. On Saturday, Trump asserted that he would make the final decision, acknowledging competing views on whether showing the execution might deter others from committing similar acts. Vice President JD Vance has signaled his own skepticism about whether the livestream will occur. Speaking off the cuff to reporters on Friday, Vance said he did not know if it would actually happen and stated that he would not be watching it. Sources indicate Vance has privately repeated these sentiments to others. While Trump, Vance, and other administration officials support Hasan's execution itself, they are grappling with competing pressures regarding the method of public witnessing. One confidant described a tension between wanting Hasan to face public humiliation and not wanting to make him a martyr. Another source questioned the optics of livestreaming an older man in a wheelchair who was permanently injured when shot during his capture in 2009. The disagreement over the livestream adds to existing friction between Vance and Hegseth, who have also held opposing views on military force in Yemen and Iran and Army leadership, although advisers say their personal relationship remains good. Historically, executions in the United States have been witnessed only by family members or select media, with public square executions discontinued in the 1930s. The 2001 execution of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was viewable by loved ones and bombing survivors via a private closed-circuit telecast. Hasan fatally shot 13 people, including a pregnant woman, and wounded 32 others on November 5, 2009, at Fort Hood's Soldier Readiness Processing Center while yelling "Allahu Akbar." The rampage was the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11. A special Senate report criticized the military for political correctness that blinded authorities to Hasan's radicalization. One administration official stated that while they bet the president will not authorize the livestream, Hasan will be executed for his crimes regardless.