US network says it has ‘no room for racism’ after Girdusky tells Hasan: ‘I hope your pager doesn’t go off’.

CNN has banned a conservative commentator after he verbally attacked British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan by referring to a series of hand-held explosive devices in Lebanon that targeted Hezbollah.

“I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” Ryan James Girdusky said during a heated debate with Hasan, a prominent radio host and outspoken critic of Israel’s war on Gaza, on CNN’s Newsnight with host Abby Phillip on Monday.

In a statement, the network said: “There is no place for racism or intolerance at CNN or on our airwaves. »

Nearly 40 people were killed and thousands more injured during two days of unprecedented attacks in September, when pagers, walkie-talkies and other portable communications devices exploded across the Lebanon, attributed to Israel.

CNN Newsnight guests debated the upcoming US presidential election and Republican candidate Donald Trump’s controversial rally at Madison Square Garden, including remarks made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico.

Hasan, founder of new media company Zeteo, criticized the rally’s rhetoric in which several speakers, including Trump, made racist and sexist remarks targeting several minority groups, including Black Americans, Latinos and Jews.

At one point, Hasan acknowledged that the accusation that Trump and his supporters are Nazis was “inflammatory.”

“But if you don’t want to be called Nazis, stop doing, stop saying,” Hasan said before being interrupted and discussed by Girdusky, who added that Hasan himself was called an “anti-Semite no longer than anyone else.” at this table.”

“I support the Palestinians, so I’m used to it,” Hasan said.

Girdusky then responded, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” apparently referring to the mass attacks in Lebanon.

“Did you just say I should die?” Did you just say I should be killed? Hasan replied.

Phillip, the host, chastised Girdusky and apologized to Hasan after a commercial break while noting that Girdusky had been removed from the guest panel.

“There’s a line that’s been crossed and it’s not acceptable to me,” Phillip said.

CNN also said in its statement: “We aim to foster thoughtful conversations and debate, including between people who deeply disagree with each other, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding. »

Sharing @CNN‘s statement and a little message from me about what happened on tonight’s show.

I take this very seriously and would like to apologize again to @mehdirhasan and I hope he will join us another time. pic.twitter.com/O9l0Ftv5NZ

– Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) October 29, 2024

“But we will not allow guests to be humiliated or the line of civility to be crossed. Ryan Girdusky will not be welcome in our network,” he added.

Hasan, who hosts the Al Jazeera show Face to face show, has not yet released a statement on the incident. He did, however, share CNN and Phillip’s statements on social media platform X.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft think tank, said, “Every day we think we may have hit rock bottom, and every day we see evidence to the contrary. »

Girdusky later posted to X: “Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America can see what CNN stands for.