“I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” CNN panelist threatens Mehdi Hasan during live broadcast

A conservative commentator was banned from CNN after making racist remarks towards British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan during a live debate, threatening the pro-Palestinian journalist with a “pager explosion.”

"I hope your beeper doesn’t go off," Ryan James Girdusky told Hasan, referencing the deadly pager and walkie-talkie attacks in Lebanon by Israel, which killed 40 people and injured thousands.

A clip from CNN’s Newsnight went viral online Tuesday, showing Girdusky, a pro-Israel commentator, engaging in a heated exchange with Hasan while other guests were present on the panel.

"Did you just say I should die? Did you just say I should be killed?" Hasan responded to Girdusky’s remarks.

The commentator then accused Hasan of being affiliated with Hezbollah, to which the renowned broadcaster replied that he is accustomed to such accusations as a Palestinian supporter.

Host Abby Phillip immediately condemned the hateful slur, apologised to Hasan, and removed Girdusky from the panel after a commercial break.

Following the incident and the ensuing backlash over the brazen display of racism and Islamophobia, CNN issued a statement permanently banning Girdusky from the network.

“We aim to foster thoughtful conversations and debate including between people who profoundly disagree with each other in order to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding,” the statement read.

“But we will not allow guests to be demeaned or for the line of civility to be crossed. Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back at our network," it added.

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

I take this very seriously and want to again apologize to @mehdirhasan and I hope he’ll join us another time. pic.twitter.com/O9l0Ftv5NZ

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

Mehdi Hasan has not responded directly to the incident but shared CNN’s statement on his X account.

Journalists and activists condemned Girdusky’s remarks, noting that racism has become a common tool to intimidate opponents and spread hate.

US Congresswoman Rashida Talib said, “CNN has played a central role in normalizing this kind of open anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian hate, and it’s sadly totally unsurprising to see such disgusting statements aired so casually on its network now.”

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CNN has played a central role in normalizing this kind of open anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian hate, and it’s sadly totally unsurprising to see such disgusting statements aired so casually on its network now. https://t.co/ntTMaQkcXM

— Rashida Tlaib (@RashidaTlaib) October 29, 2024