A discussion on “CNN Newsnight with Abby Phillip” took a controversial turn on Monday night when conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky made a racist remark directed at journalist Mehdi Hasan, resulting in Girdusky’s ban from the network.
The incident occurred during a segment about Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden. Girdusky responded to Hasan, who expressed his support for Palestinians, by saying, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” alluding to recent Israeli attacks on Hezbollah members that involved detonating explosives in pagers. Hasan, who is Muslim and the founder of Zeteo News, reacted in shock, asking, “Did you just say I should die?”
In response, CNN swiftly issued a statement, shared on social media by Phillip, declaring Girdusky banned from the network. “There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air,” the statement read. It emphasized the network’s commitment to fostering thoughtful debate while maintaining civility. “Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back at our network,” it concluded.
After the segment, Phillip informed viewers that she had cut Girdusky from the discussion during a commercial break. “There is a line that was crossed, and it’s not acceptable to me or to this network,” she stated. “We want discussions where people disagree, but when civility is lost, it cannot happen here. We can address important issues without resorting to offensive discourse.”
In the wake of the ban, Girdusky criticized CNN on X, claiming, “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media. Apparently, you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”
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