“There is no place for racism or intolerance at CNN or on our airwaves,” CNN said in its statement following the incident.

• CNN has banned MAGA pundit Ryan Girdusky from appearing on its network after he directed a comment to a Muslim journalist suggesting he was part of the terrorist group Hezbollah.

• Gidursky told Mehdi Hasan, founder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo News: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off” after Hasan said he supported Palestine on air.

• “There is no place for racism or intolerance at CNN or on our airwaves,” CNN said in its statement following the incident.

CNN has banned MAGA pundit Ryan Girdusky from appearing on its network after he directed a comment to a Muslim journalist suggesting he was part of the terrorist group Hezbollah.

CNN released a statement saying Girdusky would not be “welcome on our network” after he was captured live during a panel discussion hosted by Abby Phillip on Monday, October 28, telling Mehdi Hasan, founder and editor-in-chief of Zeteo News, “I hope your pager doesn’t go off” after Hasan said he supported Palestine. Footage from the show was later shared on X (formerly Twitter).

This comment refers to an Israeli attack in which pagers exploded, killing members of the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon last month, according to NBC News.

This prompted Hasan to respond, “Did you just say I should die?” You just said I should be killed. » He then questioned whether Girdusky was a “racist and violent person inciting violence against him.” After being reprimanded for his comment, Girdusky apologized and said he “thought Hasan” had said Hamas.

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“There is no place for racism or intolerance at CNN or on our airwaves,” CNN said in its statement following the incident, shared by Phillip on X. “Our goal is to foster thoughtful conversations and debate, especially between people who deeply disagree, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding. But we will not allow guests to be demeaned or the line of civility to be crossed.

Following his comments, Girdusky did not appear in the show’s next segment. Phillip explained that he was “asked to leave the show,” in a video alongside the same statement. Hasan was also absent, although Phillip clarified in his video that it was “in no way because we didn’t want him back” and shared that he had been invited back onto the show.

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She issued an apology to Hasan which was shared on X and also addressed viewers at home while on air for “what was said” during the panel discussion, saying, “There’s a line that’s been crossed there , and this is not acceptable to me. »

“We want a debate. We want people who disagree with each other to talk. But if you cross the line into a complete lack of civility, that’s not going to happen here on this show,” she noted.

“It’s a hot time,” Phillip continued. “We are in the middle of a political season. We’re eight days away from a presidential election, but we can have conversations about what’s going on in this country without resorting to the lowest rhetoric.”

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Girdusky has since responded to the incident, stating on X that his comments were meant to be taken as a “joke.”

“You can stay on CNN if you falsely call all Republicans Nazis and have received money from Qatar-funded media. Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke,” he wrote. “I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”

Hasan has yet to release his own statement on social media, but has reshared Phillip’s post and CNN’s statement about the show.

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