American news agency prohibits conservative pundit due to ‘exploding pager’ remark


(MENAFN) CNN has taken the significant step of banning conservative Political commentator Ryan Girdusky from its programming after he made a controversial remark during a debate with Muslim journalist Mehdi Hasan. The incident occurred on the network's ‘News Night with Abby Phillip’ on Monday, where tensions escalated during a discussion on anti-Semitism and support for Palestine.

During the heated exchange, Hasan expressed frustration over being labeled as anti-Semitic due to his pro-Palestinian stance. In response, Girdusky interjected with a comment that referenced a recent series of explosions involving pagers and walkie-talkies used by Hezbollah members in Lebanon and Syria, which many attributed to Israeli actions. Girdusky said, “Well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” prompting an immediate backlash.

Hasan reacted strongly, accusing Girdusky of “inciting violence” and interpreting the comment as a suggestion that he should be harmed. Girdusky quickly apologized, asserting that he had mistakenly assumed Hasan supported Hamas, the Palestinian militant group.

Following the incident, CNN issued a statement declaring that Girdusky would not be welcome back on the network, emphasizing its commitment to combating racism and bigotry. The network stated, “There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air.” Abby Phillip, the host of the show, also apologized to viewers for the behavior displayed by Girdusky.

In the aftermath, Palestinian American Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib criticized CNN for allowing such remarks to air, asserting that the network contributes to the normalization of anti-Arab, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian sentiments. She condemned the incident as “totally unsurprising,” given the current media landscape.

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