Trump Abandons Plan to Livestream Fort Hood Shooter Execution

The reversal arrived hours after a Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll revealed that 80% of Americans opposed the livestream. The disapproval crossed party lines, drawing criticism from 91% of Democrats, 83% of independents, and 64% of Republicans. Even within the MAGA movement, a majority opposed the televised killing, with the exception of male supporters. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had originally championed the idea as a necessary demonstration of consequences for violent crime, but the proposal faced intense scrutiny from human rights organizations. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that such a broadcast would violate the absolute prohibition of torture, while Amnesty International condemned the concept as barbaric. Fascism scholar Ruth Ben-Ghiat suggested the move was an attempt to normalize and ritualize state violence. Following the outcry, even some congressional Republicans expressed opposition, and Vice President JD Vance distanced himself from the plan, stating he would not watch the event.