The Pentagon announced last week it would execute Hasan on 3 December 2026 by firing squad.
Hegseth then said the execution would be livestreamed for the public to watch, adding that “people need to understand that there’s serious consequences for these types of things”.
Trump last Friday called Hasan “totally nuts”, adding: “I really don’t care how he goes, as long as he goes, and I think that the death penalty is a very worthy way of going for him.”
He also said he “absolutely” approved the livestream plans but said the Pentagon was still “making a determination” on it.
Hasan opened fire in a crowded medical building where deploying soldiers were awaiting check-ups and vaccines.
He later admitted in court that he was the gunman and apologised for “any mistakes”. He said during his court-martial in 2013 that he believed he was protecting Muslims and the Taliban in Afghanistan from the US military.
The killings on 5 November 2009 were the deadliest ever non-combat attack on an American military base.
US military law requires that a military execution be approved by the US president. It also requires appellate review, when a higher court inspects the decision and gives a final judgement on its legality to move forward.
While there were more than 2,700 executions across 17 countries last year, only two nations carried them out publicly. According to Amnesty International, 11 public executions were known to have been carried out in Iran in 2025 and another six in Afghanistan.