President Donald Trump said Saturday he has not yet reached a final decision on whether to broadcast the upcoming execution of Fort Hood mass shooter Nidal Hasan to a public audience, walking back his earlier enthusiasm for the idea.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump acknowledged there are competing arguments surrounding the proposal. He said that broadcasting the execution could serve as a deterrent to others who might consider similar acts of mass violence, but suggested he was still weighing both sides before making a final call.
Hasan, a former U.S. Army major, was convicted and sentenced to death in 2013 for the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood in Central Texas that killed 13 people and wounded more than 20 others. Military officials confirmed earlier this week that he will be executed by firing squad in December.
Trump described Hasan as “a vicious killer” who robbed victims of any chance at a normal life. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Thursday that the execution would be livestreamed, a decision that quickly sparked significant backlash from within the Republican Party itself.
Vice President JD Vance said Friday he was uncertain whether the livestream would actually move forward and added that he personally would not watch it. Several GOP lawmakers also voiced strong opposition to the idea.
Representative Austin Scott of Georgia wrote on social media that while he fully supports the death sentence, publicly broadcasting an execution is something associated with jihadist propaganda and that America should hold itself to a higher standard. Representative Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania argued the focus should remain on justice for victims and their families rather than turning the moment into a spectacle. Representative Tom Barrett of Michigan called on Hegseth to seriously reconsider the plan.
Trump on Saturday also reposted a Dallas Morning News article in which Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of First Baptist Dallas and a prominent Trump ally, expressed support for making the execution public. Jeffress has been a consistent backer of Trump’s political agenda and weighed in on the debate from a religious and moral standpoint in favor of the public killing.
The execution of Nidal Hasan would mark a significant moment in U.S. military justice history, and the question of whether it will be broadcast publicly remains one of the most controversial decisions surrounding the case. Trump indicated the final call rests with him and that he intends to make it.