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CNN bans Ryan Girdusky after joke about Mehdi Hasan's “Beeper”


CNN bans Ryan Girdusky after joke about Mehdi Hasan's “Beeper”

CNN has permanently banned Ryan Girdusky from appearing on the network after the conservative commentator suggested that Muslim journalist and pro-Palestinian lawyer Mehdi Hasan was a terrorist.

During a tense panel discussion Monday night, Hasan explained that he was used to people accusing him of anti-Semitism because of his support for Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.

“Yeah, well, I hope your pager doesn't go off,” Girdusky replied, referring to an Israeli operation against Hezbollah in September in which militants from the Lebanese paramilitary group were killed using pagers with implanted explosive devices.

“Did you just say live on CNN that I should be killed?” asked an incredulous Hasan Girdusky. “First block, let’s say the Muslim should be blown up on TV.”

Host Abby Phillip admonished Girdusky, telling him his comment was “completely out of his own pocket.”

After switching to advertising, the panel returned without Girdusky. “You will see that Ryan is not at the table,” Philip told viewers. “There was a line crossed and that’s not acceptable to me, it’s not acceptable to us on this network.”

In a separate statement, CNN said that “Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back to our network.”

“There is no room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our show. Our goal is to promote thoughtful conversations and debates, even between people who have deeply different opinions, to explore important topics and promote mutual understanding. But we will not allow guests to be humiliated or to cross the line of politeness,” the network added.

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Girdusky has refused to take responsibility for the consequences of his own actions, writing on Go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America sees what CNN stands for.”

The heated exchange came just a day after Republicans were left scrambling to do damage control after “comedian” Tony Hinchcliffe delivered a racist monologue against Latinos and Puetro Ricans during Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden. “These people have no sense of humor,” Hinchcliffe complained amid the backlash to his set. But really, he, Girdusky and the Republicans need some re-education about what jokes are actually funny.

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