Donald Trump has abandoned a controversial plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, who was convicted of killing 13 people at Fort Hood in Texas in 2009. In a social media post on Thursday, Trump stated that broadcasting such an execution might have served as a deterrent but acknowledged that "many very good and well-meaning people would rather not watch him die, through streaming, or through any other visual device."
“"He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed," Trump added. "That said, the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, if they so choose."
Hasan, who was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by law enforcement during the Fort Hood shooting, now uses a wheelchair. Pete Hegseth, the US defense secretary, had previously indicated that Hasan's execution would be a public event, marking the first military execution in over 60 years and the first in US history to be publicly broadcast.
Criticism and Concerns
Following the announcement, the Trump administration faced widespread criticism, with comparisons drawn to dictatorships in Iran and Afghanistan. Many lawmakers from both parties condemned the proposal. Yassamin Ansari, the first Iranian American Democrat elected to Congress, expressed her outrage on social media, stating:
“"In Trump’s America, we’re doing public executions now. WTF. This is what happens under brutal dictatorships like Iran and Afghanistan. It’s all part of Trump’s authoritarian takeover of the United States."
