Your support helps us to tell the story
This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.
The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.
Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.
The conservative commentator kicked off CNN for making a “racist” remark to a fellow panelist has hit out at the network for banning him.
Donald Trump supporter Ryan Girdusky claimed his comment, which appeared to suggest he hoped that Muslim journalist Mehdi Hasan would get blown up in a bomb attack, was a “joke.”
“You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media,” Girdusky hit out in a post on X.
“Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”
The fallout began on Abby Phillip’s show on Monday night, where Girdusky and panelist Mehdi Hasan were discussing Trump’s campaign rally at Madison Square Garden and accusations that the Trump campaign is spreading Nazi-style ideas.
Girdusky made a comment about labels and how Hasan, an outspoken supporter of Palestinian rights, is frequently branded an antisemite by his opponents.
Hasan, editor-in-chief of the news site Zeteo, said he’s used to the attack, given his vocal support for Palestinians.
“Yeah, well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” Girdusky then said.
The comment appeared to be a reference to last month’s large-scale explosion of pagers and walkie-talkies belonging to alleged Hezbollah members, which killed 37 people and injured thousands, many of them civilians. Lebanese officials have blamed the attack on Israel, which denies responsibility.
“Did you just say I should die?” an outraged Hasan responded to Girdusky. “Did you just say I should be killed on live TV?”
Chaos ensued as other panelists joined in to reprimand Girdusky, who initially apologized after being called out.
CNN has since said it will no longer feature appearances from the writer after the clash.
“There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air,” the network said in a statement. “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.
“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.”
Phillip also addressed the controversy in a separate statement, where she clarified why both panelists did not return to the following a break after the dispute.
“As you may have seen Ryan was asked to leave the show and we have put out a statement saying that he’s not welcome back on our air,” Phillip said. “There is a line here on this programme and it was crossed but I want to be clear as well that we did not ask Mehdi to not come back.
“In fact we really wanted him to come back and finish the show, we had a lot to talk to him about and we really hope that he’ll join us again soon. But for those of you who are wondering why he did not come back I just want to be super clear that that was not in any way because we did not want him back at all.”
Hasan has not directly responded to the incident but shared CNN’s statement on his X profile.
Felecia Phillips Ollie DD (h.c.) is the inspiring leader and founder of The Equality Network LLC (TEN). With a background in coaching, travel, and a career in news, Felecia brings a unique perspective to promoting diversity and inclusion. Holding a Bachelor’s Degree in English/Communications, she is passionate about creating a more inclusive future. From graduating from Mississippi Valley State University to leading initiatives like the Washington State Department of Ecology’s Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Felecia is dedicated to making a positive impact. Join her journey on our blog as she shares insights and leads the charge for equity through The Equality Network.
