Mehdi Hasan, internationally renowned broadcast journalist and founder of media company Zeteo, recently appeared on CNN NewsNight, where right-wing fellow panellist Ryan James Girdusky told him that he hoped his “beeper doesn’t go off”.
The reference to a series of pager blasts in Lebanon last month that specifically targeted Hezbollah fighters came in response to Mehdi saying that he supports Palestinians.
“Did your guest just say I should be killed on live TV,” Hasan asked the show’s host, Abby Phillip.
The other guests also sprang to Hasan’s defence, calling out the conservative panellist.
However, after a commercial break, the program host issued an apology to Hasan while viewers were informed that Ryan Girdusky had been removed from the show.
“I want to apologise to Mehdi Hasan for what was said at this table. It was completely unacceptable,” she said. “I want to apologise to the viewers at home.”
Later, CNN also issued a public apology in a statement that said, “Zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air” while announcing that Girdusky “will not be welcomed back at our network”.
Mehdi Hasan also retweeted the statement on X (formerly Twitter).
The panel on CNN Newsnight was debating the upcoming United States presidential elections and Republican candidate Donald Trump’s controversial remarks.
Hasan criticised the racist and sexist comments aimed at several minority groups, including Black Americans, Latinos and Jews. However, he still acknowledged that the accusation against Trump and his supporters being Nazis is “inflammatory”.
Earlier, in their heated discussion, Mehdi Hasan had said that if people on the far right “don’t want to be called Nazis, stop doing, stop saying”. To this, Girdusky butted in by saying Hasan has been called an “antisemite more than anyone at this table”.
Hasan responded by saying that he is used to being labelled an antisemite due to his support for the Palestinian people. Girdusky interjected by saying, “Well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.”
Ryan attempted to apologise amid crosstalk and tried to justify his comment by indicating he assumed Hasan said he supported Hamas.
Girdusky continued with his opposing approach in a tweet: “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.”
