Trump Clarifies Stance on Live-Streamed Execution of Fort Hood Killer

President Donald Trump has stated that he will be the ultimate decision-maker regarding whether the execution of Nidal Hasan, the perpetrator of the 2009 Fort Hood massacre, will be broadcast live. This clarification comes after reports from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the execution would be a live broadcast for Americans to watch.

Hasan was sentenced to death for killing 13 people and wounding 20 others at Fort Hood, Texas, in 2009. Hegseth's initial announcement of a live-streamed execution sparked widespread criticism, with many decrying the idea as dystopian and inhumane.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, Trump indicated that he has not yet finalized a decision. "There are two thoughts: don’t show it and show it. Cause you know, by showing it, maybe other people won’t be doing what he did. So I’ll make a decision ultimately," Trump said, adding that he was aware of what the military's preference might be.

Trump described Hasan as a "vicious killer" who murdered people "in cold blood." He reiterated his support for the death penalty for Hasan, stating, "I really don’t care how he goes, as long as he goes. And I think the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him."

Earlier in the week, Trump had appeared to endorse Hegseth's idea, telling reporters he "absolutely" authorized the livestream. On Friday, he stated the Pentagon was "making a determination" about the public execution, confirming that Hasan would be put to death by firing squad.

Vice President JD Vance had also expressed skepticism about the broadcast. When questioned on Friday, Vance told reporters, "I don’t know that that’s actually going to happen." He added that if it did occur, he would not be watching.

Hegseth had unveiled the concept in an interview, arguing that a public broadcast would underscore the serious consequences for such actions. He also drew a parallel to tactics used by the U.S. Army in World War II.

The proposal faced significant backlash. The UN human rights office stated that broadcasting an execution would breach the prohibition of torture and be tantamount to a public execution. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy compared the idea to ISIS executions, calling public executions "medieval."

Republican Senator Thom Tillis also condemned the idea, asserting that public executions are characteristic of "oppressive dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan" and "should not be happening in America."

Georgia Democrat Jon Ossoff criticized Hegseth, calling him "a deeply unwell person who seems to relish this kind of brutality" and accusing him of staging an "obscene medieval spectacle" while leading a military department he claimed was "falling into chaos."

Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also denounced the plan as a "barbaric promotion of a culture of death."

Nidal Hasan was convicted in 2013 of 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted murder. He reportedly stated that he targeted deploying soldiers because they were heading to an "illegal war."

Hasan's execution is scheduled for December 3 at 1 p.m.