Donald Trump pulls plug on execution livestream

US President Donald Trump has cancelled plans to livestream the firing squad execution of Fort Hood gunman Nidal Hasan, following international backlash and Australian government calls for social media platforms to block the footage.

The reversal follows days of criticism in Australia, where Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and politicians across the political divide opposed broadcasting the execution online.

Execution remains scheduled

Hasan, a former US Army psychiatrist who killed 13 people and injured 32 others at the Texas military base in 2009, remains scheduled to be executed on 3 December.

Trump announced the cancellation on Truth Social on Thursday, US time, saying Hasan “will die, as scheduled, by firing squad, but this event will not be streamed”.

Immediate family members of the victims will still be able to attend in person.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s announcement that the execution would be available to watch online drew opposition from Republicans and Democrats, religious leaders and the United Nations.

The Pentagon said Trump and Hegseth discussed the decision before the announcement, and that Hegseth supported the cancellation.

Albanese put platforms on notice

As Mediaweek previously reported, Albanese had pledged to pursue options to prevent Australians from accessing the stream, while acknowledging the government could not simply switch it off.

Speaking on the ABC’s Afternoon Briefing on Tuesday, he warned that carrying the footage would damage platforms’ reputations.

“They have a social responsibility here to do the right thing.”

Albanese said the content had “no place in Australia” and confirmed Australia’s concerns had been raised with the Trump administration.

‘Roman amphitheatre stuff’

The proposed broadcast also drew condemnation from One Nation MP Barnaby Joyce, Greens communications spokesperson Sarah Hanson-Young and Shadow Treasurer Tim Wilson.

Joyce described it as “Roman amphitheatre stuff”, telling News24 he did not want children or adults watching someone being killed by a firing squad.

Hanson-Young wrote to Communications Minister Anika Wells and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant seeking action to prevent Australians accessing the broadcast.

“This is incredibly shocking and barbaric,” Hanson-Young said. “Australians don't want this on our screens.”

Wilson also opposed the livestream, while questioning whether measures to block it could lead to broader restrictions on online speech.

eSafety’s powers under scrutiny

The controversy exposed limits to Australia’s ability to prevent an overseas livestream reaching local users.

eSafety said it could not proactively stop the broadcast from occurring online, while pointing to platforms’ obligations to protect users from harmful material.

The debate coincided with Labor’s proposed digital duty of care legislation, which would require platforms to take steps to reduce risks to users.

As Mediaweek reported earlier this week, agreement on opposing the execution broadcast did not extend to those reforms. The Greens want stronger provisions, including avenues for compensation, while the Coalition remains opposed to the proposal.