Donald Trump has announced a U-turn on the controversial plan to live stream an execution by firing squad. The US president confirmed today that the proposed live stream of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Hasan would not happen.
The move comes after the Pentagon came under fire for the suggestion to allow people to watch as the 56-year-old mass killer would be put to death in Texas by a firing squad. It drew criticism from the United Nations, while Pope Leo weighed in on the death penalty in the US in the wake of the uproar.
Trump's statement on Truth Social
Trump said on his Truth Social platform: '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 but, 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.'
Background of the case
Hasan, a former US Army major, killed 13 fellow soldiers and wounded more than 30 others in the mass shooting at the Fort Hood base in November 2009. He is one of only four inmates on the military death row.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is due to be executed by firing squad at 1pm on December 3 at Fort Hood. Hegseth had previously said officials would 'make sure that people are able to watch it' and labelled the live execution as a 'no-brainer.'
Recent execution controversies
Death penalty executions in the US have made headlines after the botched injections of Christ Pike. Pike was given two lethal injections during her scheduled execution, but miraculously survived and she was taken to the hospital on September 30.
The convicted killer of 19-year-old Colleen Slemmer was heard snoring loudly and gurgling in the chamber, according to eyewitnesses. After uncertainty over whether the 50-year-old would survive, her lawyers confirmed she was speaking and eventually walking around in her room. Her first words after waking up were 'Where am I?' and 'Who are you?'
Pike has been discharged and is due to return to prison, according to her attorneys.
