After learning that Nidal Hassan was paralyzed, Trump discusses canceling the live broadcast of his execution

(CNN) - President Donald Trump and his advisers are discussing whether to cancel plans to broadcast the execution of the Fort Hood shooter, Nidal Hassan, via live broadcast by firing squad; Trump has said privately that he did not initially know that Hassan was paralyzed from the waist down, according to two sources familiar with these discussions told CNN.

The sources reported that the president was not aware that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had announced last week the administration's plan to allow the public to watch the execution, and that he was initially unsure how to handle this matter. However, multiple officials confirmed to CNN that Trump strongly supported the decision to execute Hassan by firing squad, and had often defended that decision publicly.

Even after Hegseth posted a tweet on the “X” platform (formerly Twitter), on Thursday, confirming the Pentagon’s plan to broadcast the execution live, Trump polled the opinions of a number of his advisors and allies about how to move forward in this matter.

During those conversations, Trump learned that Hassan is paralyzed from the waist down — the result of being shot in the back by law enforcement during the 2009 Fort Hood shooting — and that he currently uses a wheelchair; These are details that made the idea of ​​displaying the execution publicly less acceptable to the president.

One source familiar with the discussions indicated that Trump's deep understanding of the importance of the image and its visual impact is a major reason why he may abandon plans to live broadcast the execution. The president also heard the view that a public execution by firing squad could be used as a propaganda tool by foreign adversaries and terrorist groups to portray Hassan as a martyr, a Trump adviser told CNN.

On Tuesday, the White House referred CNN to the president's statements he made on Saturday, in which he acknowledged that there were "two opinions" or two options on how to deal with the matter, stressing that he would make the final decision himself. Trump told reporters over the weekend, describing Nidal Hassan: "It was brutal and violent. There are two opinions: not to show the operation or to show it. On the one hand, showing it might deter others from doing what he did. So, I will make the decision in the end. I know what the military would like to do, But we will make the decision."

The Pentagon is also re-evaluating plans for a full live broadcast of the execution, according to a source familiar with the discussions. The source explained that even if it was decided to broadcast the event, the broadcast would likely be cut off before the shots were fired; This is partly due to fears that the moment would provide a propaganda opportunity for terrorist groups.

Hegseth's office did not respond to additional requests for comment on whether plans to broadcast the execution live had changed.

The plan to live broadcast the execution faced bipartisan opposition, and the move also surprised officials in the Pentagon and the Army, according to what CNN previously reported.

Trump told reporters on Friday that he was not a party to the matter, but said: “I understand the decision,” adding that some “want to make an example of this” by broadcasting the execution live.

Hegseth had initially recommended that Hassan, who was convicted of killing 13 people and wounding dozens, be executed by firing squad, which Trump agreed to.

If the death sentence is carried out on December 3 at Fort Hood, it will be the first of its kind carried out by the US Army against a soldier since World War II, and the first in which a death sentence has been imposed on a member of the armed forces in 65 years.