CNN Bans Conservative Panelist After He Tells Journalist Mehdi Hasan ‘I Hope Your Beeper Doesn’t Go Off’
ForbesNOV 12 2024
Conservative commentator and 1776 Project PAC founder Ryan Gidursky has been banned from CNN following comments made towards Medhi Hasan during Monday's show "NewsNight with Abby Phillip."
After Hasan, editor-in-chief and CEO of media organization Zeteo, stated that he was a "supporter of the Palestinians," Girdusky responded by stating "I hope your bleeper doesn't go off." Girdusky apologized, claiming he thought Hasan said "Hamas" rather than "Palestinians," before being removed at the next commercial break.
Host Abby Phillip described Girdusky's comment as "disgusting" before apologizing to Hasan who also left the show during the commercial break. Phillip later shared on X a statement from CNN stating that there was "zero room for racism or bigotry" at CNN and Girdusky "will not be welcomed back at our network."Girdusky's comments come after pagers and hand-held radios used by Hezbollah were remotely exploded last month across Lebanon, killing over 25 people and injuring nearly 3.5K.
Girudsky's vile comment towards Hasan has no place on a tolerant platform such as CNN. Debate and disagreement should always be encouraged, but the broadcaster should've known better than allow a far-right Project 2025 fanatic on live TV. The incident is merely reaffirmation that the hateful MAGA movement is underserving of the time and attention American media continues to provide.
Having consistently likened Trump and his supporters to Hitler and the Nazis, CNN's double-standards were once again exposed after Abby Phillip and her liberal guests could not contain their outrage at a single comment made by a conservative. It is clear that, despite being perfectly comfortable using inflammatory language when it suits them, the liberal media cannot take a joke.