Trump cancels planned livestream of Nidal Hasan's firing squad execution

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Nidal Hasan, who killed 13 people in the 2009 Fort Hood attack in Texas. The execution is scheduled for December 3, according to AFP.

The proposal made the broadcast itself a focus of controversy. France24 reported that Hegseth's announcement triggered a backlash among Republicans in Congress, religious leaders and international officials.

On October 12, the European Union warned digital platforms against livestreaming the execution, AFP reported. The warning put pressure on the companies that could carry the footage, not just the officials proposing to broadcast it.

Religious opposition also became explicit that day. Archbishop Timothy Broglio, head of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, opposed the livestream, according to The Hill. Catholic service members assigned to the firing squad should ask to be excused, CBS Top Stories reported him saying.

There were signs of resistance within Trump's circle. On October 12, Axios reported that President Trump had privately expressed misgivings, citing four people who had spoken with him.

On October 13, Arab News reported that US House Speaker Mike Johnson had reservations about the broadcast and warned it could become a terrorist recruiting tool. That same day, CBS News reported that administration officials were leaning against the livestream, citing sources familiar with the discussions.

By October 14, Trump and his advisers were considering dropping the broadcast, according to ABCNews.com. Reports published on October 15 confirmed that Trump had canceled it.

Trump has ruled out the livestream, not the execution. "He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," he wrote on Truth Social, according to ABCNews.com.

The latest coverage differs on the announcement's timing: The Hill says Trump announced the cancellation on Wednesday, while nu.nl says Thursday. Both report the same decision.

Hasan's execution remains scheduled for December 3. It is set to be the first military execution in more than 60 years, BBC News reported.

The next scheduled event is the execution itself. Canceling the livestream does not resolve the separate objection to Catholic soldiers participating in the firing squad. Broglio's call for those assigned to seek an exemption, reported by CBS Top Stories, concerned their role in carrying out the execution as well as the proposed broadcast.