CNN Bans Conservative Commentator After Disparaging Comments About Pro-Palestinian Journalist Mehdi Hasan | american news

On October 29, 2024By Littum

A conservative commentator has been banned from appearing on the American television network CNN after he made disparaging remarks about a pro-Palestinian journalist.

Ryan Girdusky told Mehdi Hasan, a British-American broadcaster and former MSNBC correspondent: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go away.” The comment was an apparent reference to exploding communication devices that targeted members of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

The pair were part of a panel on CNN Newsnight with host Abby Phillip discussing the controversial comments from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe Sunday during a Donald Trump rally at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

During the debate, Mr Hasan said he is used to being called an anti-Semite because of his support for the Palestinian people, to which Mr Girdusky responded with the comment which appeared to refer to the exploding pagers, killed 12 people and injured thousands last month.

“Did you just say I was going to die? You just said I was going to be killed,” Mr Hasan said in response.

Girdusky later apologized, claiming he had heard Mr Hasan say he supported the militant group Hamas. After the show returned from a commercial break, both panelists had left.

In a statement shared by Ms Phillip on X, CNN said: “There is no place for racism or bigotry on CNN or on our air.

“We aim to foster thoughtful conversation and debate between people who strongly disagree with each other, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding.

“However, we will not allow guests to be degraded or the line of civility to be crossed. Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back into our network.”

Ms Phillip added that the network had not asked Mr Hasan to leave the debate and that he was welcome to return in the future.

Hasan is a vocal critic of Israel’s war in Gaza. His news organization, Zeteo, released a documentary titled Israel’s Reel Extremism back in June, and earlier this month he interviewed a former Israeli military colonel on Piers Morgan Uncensored.

Hours after the heated exchange, Mr Girdusky appeared to defend his actions, writing on social media: “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call all Republicans Nazis and have taken money from Qatari funded media.

“Obviously you can’t go on CNN if you’re making a joke.”

Mr. Girdusky later wrote a piece for his weekly newsletter, the National Populist Newsletter, in which he says he offers his “best advice for future outlaw conservatives.”

Both Mr Girdusky and Mr Hasan did not return calls to Sky News’ US partner network, NBC, for comment.