President Donald Trump and his advisers are discussing whether to scrap plans to broadcast live the firing-squad execution of Nidal Malik Hasan, convicted of the 2009 mass shooting at the Fort Hood military base, according to infohub.kz.
Citing sources, CNN reported that the White House chief changed his position after learning that the condemned man is paralyzed and uses a wheelchair. Trump privately admitted he had not initially known about this circumstance.
Sources also said the president was at first unaware that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced the administration's intention to let the public watch the execution. After Hegseth posted on X on Thursday confirming that the Pentagon plans to broadcast the execution live, Trump polled several of his advisers and allies on how to proceed. It was then, according to the reports, that the White House chief learned of Hasan's condition.
It is noted that during the 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, law enforcement officers shot him in the back. He has been confined to a wheelchair since.
According to sources, this information made a public broadcast of the execution less appealing to the president. A source familiar with the discussions said the Pentagon is also reviewing plans for a full live broadcast of the execution. Even if the broadcast goes ahead, it will likely be cut before the shots are fired. One reason is concern that the moment could give terrorist groups an opportunity to use it for propaganda.
It was previously reported that Donald Trump approved carrying out the death sentence against Nidal Malik Hasan, who killed 13 people and wounded 32 others at Fort Hood. This would be the first execution of a U.S. service member by firing squad since World War II.
The execution date was later set for December 3, 2026. It also emerged that the execution is intended to be made public.
Last week, a spokesman for the UN secretary-general, Stéphane Dujarric, called the U.S. decision to execute a person on live television appalling.