Donald Trump calls off planned live stream of firing squad execution

US President Donald Trump has canceled a plan to livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan, a convicted military base shooter, following widespread backlash. The decision was announced on Thursday, with Trump stating that the execution would still be viewable in person by the immediate family members of the victims if they so desired.

The cancellation came after the plan was met with outrage from US politicians across party lines, the Catholic Church, human rights groups, and the United Nations. Trump had initially indicated that the livestreaming could serve as a deterrent to deter future terrorist acts, but many individuals, including those who generally supported the plan, expressed a preference for not witnessing Hasan's execution.

Hasan, who killed 13 people in 2009, will be executed by firing squad on December 3rd at Fort Hood, Texas, marking the first such execution by a U.S. military firing squad since 1945. The decision to cancel the livestream was a setback for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had been facing criticism over the stalled Iran war and its consequences, which are impacting the Republican Party's prospects in the upcoming midterm elections.