Trump officials now leaning against livestream of execution, sources say

Trump administration officials are leaning against livestreaming the execution of the ex-Army major convicted of the killing of 13 people at Fort Hood in 2009, sources familiar with the discussions said. Last week, the Pentagon had said that the public would be able to view the execution live.

President Trump had not yet made a final decision on Tuesday, two of the sources told CBS News. 

White House and Pentagon spokespeople didn’t immediately comment. 

There has been pressure from Congress and elsewhere not to livestream Nidal Hasan’s execution by firing squad, which is scheduled to take place on Dec. 3. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last Thursday in an interview with Real America’s Voice that the Pentagon planned to make the execution public.

“He’s going to get a firing squad of soldiers, as it should be,” Hegseth said. “We’ll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it’s public — because people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things.”

CNN reported earlier Tuesday that Mr. Trump and his advisers were debating whether to air the firing squad execution live, and that Mr. Trump had remarked privately that he didn’t initially know Hasan was paralyzed from the waist down.

Several top Republicans in recent days expressed opposition to livestreaming Hasan’s execution, and Vice President JD Vance said that if it were broadcast live, “I’m not going to be watching it.” 

As the president departed for a campaign rally in Alaska on Tuesday, a reporter asked him whether he’s decided to allow the execution to be livestreamed. “We’re looking at it,” Mr. Trump replied.

GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson also acknowledged colleagues “who have concerns” in an interview with CBS News national correspondent and chief Washington analyst Robert Costa. Among them, he added, is “the concern would be that you would create a video that would be a recruiting tool for future terrorists.” Johnson also said he would not watch the execution, and he told Costa, “I need to tell the White House what some of my colleagues think about that, and not everybody is in favor of the idea.”