Trump Scraps Pentagon Plan to Livestream a Firing Squad Execution

Trump has canceled Pentagon plans to livestream a firing squad execution, reversing a proposal that would have put a killing in front of a public online audience.

The reversal comes with a clear signal of public opinion. A Thursday poll found that 8 in 10 Americans opposed the Pentagon's plans, a lopsided rejection of the idea of streaming an execution to viewers.

The available information is limited. The report does not say which execution was planned, who first proposed the broadcast, or what review led to the decision to drop it. Those details have not been confirmed.

The episode raises a question that goes beyond the military: how far government should go in turning a state killing into live video. Any further reporting on the timeline and the officials involved would help clarify what was planned and why it was stopped.