Mehdi Hasan is a British author and political commentator who has worked in the American media for about five years. He had a show on Peacock, he had a show on MSNBC, and he regularly pops into cable news round-table discussions. His background: his parents were Indian immigrants in Britain, and he was born and raised Muslim, and I believe he is still practicing. He’s gotten a lot of attention this year for his commentary on Israel and Palestine, especially within the context of the American presidential race.
Well, Hasan was asked to appear on a crowded CNN panel to discuss Donald Trump’s Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden. As Hasan was trying to make the point of “if you don’t want to be called a Nazi, stop doing Nazi sh-t” (I’m paraphrasing), a man on the panel said something absolutely shocking to Hasan. The man? Ryan James Girdusky, who was trying to defend the Nazi rally. Girdusky called Hasan an antisemite and within the cross-talk, Hasan said, “I am in support of the Palestinians, so I am used to it.” Girdusky replied, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.” That was a reference to the Israeli operation to weaponize Hezbollah members’ beepers. As in, supporting Palestinians = Hezbollah. Hasan asked, “Did you guest just say I should be killed on live TV?”
Girdusky to Hasan: I hope your beeper doesn’t go off pic.twitter.com/YmHhYnkDZ3
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2024
This was Abby Phillip’s show on CNN, and she quickly tried to handle the situation. She apparently invited Hasan to stay on the show but he walked off, and Girdusky has now been banned:
CNN says commentator Ryan Girdusky will no longer be welcome on the network after his offensive remark to fellow guest Mehdi Hasan tonight.
“There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air,” the network said in a statement shared by host Abby Phillip tonight.
Earlier tonight on NewsNight with Abby Phillip, Girdusky was ushered off the show during a commercial break after making a crass comment suggesting Hasan was a member of a terrorist organization. In a video accompanying CNN’s statement, Philip apologized again for the incident just as she did earlier on her show.
Phillip also says in her video message that, although Hasan did not reappear after the commercial break, CNN did not ask him to leave as it had with Girdusky, and that the choice was Hasan’s. “In fact we really wanted him to come back and finish the show,” she said, adding that she hopes he’ll return to the show soon.
I have no issue with the way CNN handled this and Girdusky should absolutely be banned from CNN and other networks. He should also lose his other jobs and I hope that happens by the end of the day. Where I will blame CNN is that no political commentary or debate should have been staged this way, with a half-dozen people sitting at a table talking over one another. Stop with the both-sidesism and stop platforming known bigots, racists and insurrectionists just because “the other side should have a voice too.”
Phillip: I want to apologize to Mehdi Hasan for what was said at this table. It was completely unacceptable when we get this discussion started, you’ll see that Ryan is not at the table… I want to apologize to the viewers at home pic.twitter.com/wyPaStHUex
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2024
Photo courtesy of The Daily Show.