Pentagon spokesperson: Hegseth ‘completely aligned’ with Trump nixing execution livestream

A spokesperson for Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stressed Thursday that the Pentagon chief is “completely aligned” with President Trump’s decision to not livestream the execution of Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan.

Trump said the planned Dec. 3 livestream execution of Hasan, a former Army major who killed 13 people in the November 2009 attack on Fort Hood, Texas, would not move forward . He announced the reversal in a Thursday post to Truth Social.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Trump and Hegseth “spoke about the decision” ahead of the Truth Social announcement, and he said the Defense secretary “supports the President’s decision, and they are completely aligned.”

Hegseth earlier this month made the surprising announcement that Hasan’s execution would be made public, a plan that was swiftly admonished by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Vice President Vance also said that, while he supported the death sentence, he did not plan to view the event.

Trump in his statement blamed Hasan’s rampage on the Obama administration, calling the event a “key intelligence failure” before noting he had heard the criticism around a public execution. He said that, while Hasan deserved to be put to death, it would not be livestreamed — even as he suggested it might have deterred potential terrorists.

“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,” Trump wrote.

The president added the execution may be viewed in person by the immediate families of the victims, should they choose to attend.

Several Republican members of the House and Senate had immediately pushed back at Hegseth’s decision to livestream Nasan’s death, arguing the focus should be on justice for the victims and their families rather than creating a public spectacle. Many lawmakers drew comparisons between the proposal and the acts of dictators.

“A civilization erodes when it cultivates an appetite for executions as a form of entertainment,” Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah) said last week, adding the planned livestream “risks feeding that appetite.”

Hasan’s rampage at the Fort Hood processing center is the deadliest mass shooting ever on a U.S. military installation.