Trump canceled the live broadcast of the execution of the Fort Hood attacker by firing squad

Trump said some would rather not watch the execution of Nidal Hasan, the first military execution in more than 60 years.

By Nardin Saad, Madeleine Halpert and Iohn Wells, North American Correspondent

US President Donald Trump has canceled live broadcasts of the firing squad execution of former US Army psychiatrist Nadal Hassan.

Trump had previously said he was okay with showing the death of the Fort Hood attacker, while Vice President J.D. Vance had reservations about it, saying he wouldn't watch it.

Trump's decision to cancel the live broadcast came after widespread criticism in the United States and globally. On Thursday, he said that "a lot of very good, good people would rather not watch him die".

"I think broadcasting this execution to everyone would be a strong deterrent for the world to see how America deals with terrorists and SCUM like Hassan," Trump said.

"He will die by firing squad as planned, but the event will not be broadcast," the president added in the post on Truth Social.

In 2009, Hassan shot and killed 13 unarmed US military personnel and injured 32 others at a military base in Texas. His execution by firing squad will be the first military execution in more than 60 years.

Trump said families of the victims could still watch the execution in person if they wished.

"They deserve to witness justice!" he said

After the Pentagon announced last week that it would execute Hasan by firing squad on December 3, 2026 and broadcast the event live, a wave of criticism quickly followed, following human rights groups and many others. The United Nations called these plans "abhorrent".

While there were more than 2,700 executions in 17 countries last year, only two carried them out publicly. According to the Amnesty International report, 11 public executions have been carried out in 2025 in Iran and 6 more in Afghanistan.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his decision to broadcast Hassan's execution online, saying that "people need to understand that there are serious consequences for this type of thing".

But as criticism mounted, Trump appeared to be holding back his support, saying on Friday that he "absolutely" approved of the live-streaming plan, but added that the Pentagon was still "making a decision" about it.

The president also called Hassan "absolutely insane."

"As long as he goes, I don't really care how he goes, and I think the death penalty is a very appropriate way for him to go," he said.

After Trump announced he had canceled it, a Pentagon spokesman said Hexett had already spoken with the president.

Spokesman Sean Parnell said: "The minister supports the president's decision and they are fully aligned."

Hassan's lawyer, John Galligan, who works mainly on civil matters, told the BBC that Trump's decision to cancel the live broadcast of his execution was "no surprise".

"It was a foolish Hexett decision and statement to live-stream any execution - and it breached the Army's own regulations," Galligan said.

He said Hassan is paralyzed from the chest down, something Trump "didn't even seem to know" when he approved the live broadcast plan.

"The damage has already been done — the Army is now just trying to clean up the mess," Galligan said. "This will forever be a stain on our military justice system."

He added that it was not clear whether Hasan was yet aware of Trump's "reversal" of the decision during the live broadcast.

Hassan opened fire in a crowded medical building where soldiers were waiting for check-ups and vaccinations.

He later admitted in court that he was the gunman and apologized for "any wrongdoing".

He said at his court-martial in 2013 that he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military.

The November 5, 2009 massacre was the deadliest non-combat attack on a US military base.

United States military law requires that military executions be approved by the President of the United States.

It also requires appellate review when a higher court reviews the decision and makes a final judgment on its legality in order to move forward.