The Pentagon is preparing a formal request for President Trump to sign off on executing Nidal Hasan, the Army psychiatrist convicted of killing 13 people and wounding 32 at Fort Hood in 2009. This would mark the first U.S. military execution in over 60 years.
Hasan’s death sentence was affirmed after he lost his final appeals in April 2025. Under military law, execution requires multiple layers of approval: the Army staff recommendation, then endorsements by the Army Secretary and Department of War, before a final decision by the President.
Officials say the request is now in the “staffing process for presidential action.” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has expressed strong support, calling Hasan a “savage terrorist” deserving of the “harshest lawful punishment.”
Critics note the government originally characterized the Fort Hood massacre as “workplace violence,” rather than terrorism, which raised questions about how the incident was legally handled. The shift to pursue execution suggests a broader recognition of the attack’s ideological roots and escalates the stakes on federal counterterrorism and military justice policies.
