US President Donald Trump says he will make the final decision on whether the planned execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan will be broadcast live, reopening debate over a proposal he had publicly approved a day earlier.
US Plans To Livestream Execution Of Fort Hood Shooter
Speaking to reporters at the White House on Saturday, October 10, Trump said officials had differing views on whether the public should witness the firing squad execution.
“There are two thoughts: don’t show it and show it,” he said, suggesting that broadcasting the execution might discourage others from committing similar crimes. “So I’ll make a decision, ultimately.”
Trump added that he understood the military’s preference but said the final call would be his.
His latest comments came a day after he told reporters he had approved the proposed livestream, saying, “Absolutely, I approved.”
Hasan, a former US Army major, killed 13 people and wounded 32 others when he opened fire at Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas, in November 2009.
Responding to criticism of the proposed broadcast, Trump described Hasan as a “vicious killer” who had taken 13 lives “in cold blood”.
The planned execution would be the first carried out by the US military in 65 years. The proposal has drawn criticism over whether broadcasting an execution would be appropriate, with opponents raising concerns about turning the punishment into a public spectacle.
Trump’s latest remarks leave the question of whether the execution will be televised unresolved.