President Donald Trump said Thursday the Pentagon will no longer livestream the scheduled Dec. 3 firing squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, the gunman in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting. The reversal follows bipartisan criticism of an earlier announcement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that the execution would be public and streamed online.
Trump wrote on social media that airing the execution "might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan." He added, however, that "any very good and well meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device." The president said the execution can still be viewed in person by immediate family members of the victims, "if they so choose."
Critics from both parties had warned that broadcasting the event could fuel radicalization. Vice President JD Vance previously distanced himself from the plan, saying, "I don't know that that's actually going to happen," and adding, "if it's ultimately livestreamed, I'm not going to be watching it."
Sources: Las Vegas Review-Journal
Original reporting: Las Vegas Review-Journal →
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