During a discussion about former President Donald Trump's weekend rally at Madison Square Garden, former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan said he understands that no one wants to be called a Nazi and the label is inflammatory, but added: “If you're not a Nazi want to be labeled. “Stop doing things (that are associated with Nazis).”

Girdusky interrupted him and said that Hasan had been called an anti-Semitic “more than anyone else at this table,” to which the journalist replied that it was Girdusky who called him that because he supported the Palestinians – “so I'm used to it.”

Girdusky then interjected, “Yeah, I hope your pager doesn't go off,” apparently suggesting that Hasan, who is Muslim, is linked to Hezbollah – the Iran-backed militant group whose pager was used on a phone call last month Suspected Israeli attack suddenly exploded.

Hasan responded by asking, “Did you just say I should die?” Did you just say live on CNN that I should be killed?” He then asked the broadcaster if his guest had just said, “I should be killed on live -Television will be killed?”

Girdusky's comment was then criticized by host Abby Phillip, who said it was “totally out of pocket, you know that.”

When the show next returned from a break, Girdusky had been removed from the panel and Phillip said: “First of all, I would like to apologize to Mehdi Hasan that what was said at that table was completely unacceptable.”