CNN
Political analyst Ryan Girdusky is banned from appearing on CNN following an inappropriate “beeper” comment directed at fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan … as confirmed by the network.
Following a tense exchange on “NewsNight With Abby Phillip,” where Girdusky implied that Hasan had connections to terrorist activities, the network released a statement clarifying that there is “absolutely no tolerance for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our platform.”
The host of the show, Abby Phillip, who denounced the comments during the broadcast and issued a video apology regarding the situation, supported the network’s decision to ban Girdusky.
Sharing @CNN’s statement along with a brief message from me concerning what transpired on tonight’s show.
I take this very seriously and would like to apologize again to @mehdirhasan. I hope he’ll consider joining us for another segment. pic.twitter.com/O9l0Ftv5NZ
— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) October 29, 2024
@abbydphillip
Girdusky departed from the news program early on Monday evening after he made his controversial remark — specifically, when he told Hasan, “I hope your beeper doesn’t activate,” in response to Hasan expressing support for Palestinians during a discussion about antisemitism and the inflammatory language at Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.
The comment triggered significant backlash at the discussion table — particularly from Hasan, who perceived Girdusky’s words as implying he “should be murdered during a live broadcast.”
For those who may not know, Girdusky’s “beeper” remark referred to an incident where detonating pagers resulted in fatalities among Hezbollah members, a militant organization based in Lebanon with connections to Hamas, during a precision strike in September.
Despite Girdusky’s attempts to justify his statement, claiming that Hasan endorsed Hamas — which he did not — he subsequently offered a brief apology … a gesture that many in attendance did not accept.
Subsequently, Girdusky was requested to leave the program … which was also marked by Hasan’s early exit. Nevertheless, Phillip later clarified that CNN did not ask MH to leave the show.
According to Phillip, they “truly wished for him to return and complete the show,” emphasizing that Hasan would be welcomed back in future broadcasts.