Hegseth on Trump Canceling Fort Hood Execution Livestream: 'I Fully Support the President's Approach'

War Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that he backs President Donald Trump's decision to cancel the livestream of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan's execution by firing squad, his first public comments on the reversal.

Hegseth had announced earlier this month that the execution would be broadcast. Trump called off the livestream on Oct. 15 after criticism at home and abroad, according to the BBC.

What Hegseth Said

Hegseth spoke Tuesday while traveling to Ohio and Wisconsin on his "Arsenal of Freedom" tour, according to Newsweek. A reporter asked whether he was disappointed the execution would not be streamed.

"I agree with the president, we spoke about it at length, positively," Hegseth said, according to Newsweek. "We both, you know, recognize that death by firing squad is what Nidal Hasan, a terrorist, a traitor, deserves. He will get that. The families will observe it."

"And the point is there's a deterrent effect to that also, which follows through whether it's livestreamed or not. So, I fully support the president's approach," he said.

The Washington Examiner reported that critics of the livestream plan had argued that putting Hasan's death on display could risk making him a martyr.

Why Trump Called It Off

Trump announced the change Oct. 15 in a post on Truth Social. He said "many very good and well meaning people" objected, according to the BBC.

"I think streaming the execution for all to see might have been a strong deterrent for the World to witness how America deals with Terrorists and SCUM like Hasan," Trump wrote. "He will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed."

Trump said the victims' families can still attend the execution in person. "They deserve to witness JUSTICE!" he wrote.

At the time, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said Hegseth had spoken with the president beforehand. "The Secretary supports the President's decision, and they are completely aligned," Parnell said, according to the BBC.

The plan had drawn objections from human rights groups, the United Nations and a group of 72 former military officers, the BBC reported.

The Case Against Hasan

Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, killed 13 people and wounded more than 30 others in a shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, on Nov. 5, 2009. It was the deadliest non-combat attack ever on an American military base, according to the BBC. He was convicted at a court-martial in 2013.

The Army has scheduled the execution for Dec. 3 at 1 p.m. at Fort Hood, according to Newsweek. It would be the first U.S. military execution in more than 60 years. Military law requires the president to approve a military execution.

A lawyer for Hasan, John Galligan, told the BBC that Hasan is paralyzed from the chest down and called the original livestream plan "a dumb decision."

Hold Everyone Accountable.

Sources: Washington Examiner, "Hegseth says 'I fully support' Trump decision to cancel livestreamed execution" (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense/4773138/pete-hegseth-agree-trump-livestream-execution-nidal-hasan/ ; Newsweek, "Pete Hegseth responds after Trump rejects his livestream execution plan" (Oct. 20, 2026): https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-responds-after-trump-rejects-his-livestream-execution-plan-12596536 ; BBC News, "Trump calls off livestream of Fort Hood attacker's execution by firing squad": https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crx23qlnj27qo