“Terrorist’s execution won’t be livestreamed”... Trump puts brakes on Hegseth’s plan

【Financial News, New York — Correspondent Lee Byung-chul】  U.S. President Donald Trump abruptly canceled plans to livestream the execution by firing squad of the gunman who killed 13 people at a U.S. military base. He directly reversed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s plan to make the execution public. The decision appears to have been influenced by concerns that footage of the execution could be exploited as propaganda by terrorist groups, as well as controversy over whether it was appropriate to livestream such a brutal scene to the world.
President Trump said on social media on the 15th (local time) that the execution by firing squad of Nidal Hasan, who opened fire at Fort Hood Army Base in Texas in 2009, would not be livestreamed.
He described Hasan as “a very bad and evil person” and said, “I thought livestreaming the execution could have a powerful deterrent effect by showing the world how America deals with terrorists and human scum like Hasan.” He explained the decision to cancel the livestream, saying, “Many good people with good intentions don’t want to see him die through a livestream or other video media.” However, immediate family members of the victims will be allowed to attend the execution in person if they wish.
The decision reversed Hegseth’s previously announced plan to make the execution public. In an interview with a conservative media outlet, Hegseth argued that a livestream was necessary, saying, “People need to understand that crimes like these carry a severe price.”
But opposition also emerged within the administration and among Republicans. Vice President JD Vance said that he would not watch even if the execution were livestreamed, while House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed concern that the video could be exploited as “a tool for recruiting future terrorists.”
Some also warned that livestreaming the execution could hand U.S. adversaries a propaganda victory, particularly given that Hasan is paralyzed from the waist down as a result of injuries he sustained during the shooting.
Hasan was sentenced to death for killing 13 people and wounding 32 in a shooting at Fort Hood in 2009. An Army psychiatrist, he testified at his court-martial that he had committed the crime because he believed the U.S. military was waging war against Islam. Earlier this month, President Trump approved Hasan’s execution by firing squad on the recommendation of Secretary Hegseth.




[email protected] Correspondent Lee Byung-chul Reporter