CNN suspends Ryan Girdusky over Islamophobic beeper comment

On Monday, CNN invited conservative commentator and avid Trump supporter Ryan Girdusky to participate in a panel about Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden. During the discussion, Girdusky and journalist Mehdi Hasan got into a heated argument, which culminated in Girdusky responding to Hasan's claim that he supported Palestinian rights by saying, “I hope your pager doesn't go off” – and referring to it referring to a September attack on members of Hezbollah carried out by Israel using explosive pagers.

The minutes that followed devolved into a shouting match in which Girdusky claimed to have been under the impression that when Hasan, a Muslim, said he was a “supporter of the Palestinians” he had just posed as a supporter of Hamas. Before the panel reconvened, CNN correspondent and discussion moderator Abby Phillip issued a formal apology and announced that Girdusky had been asked to leave. “A line has been crossed and that is not acceptable,” she said in a filmed segment. “We want a discussion, we want people who disagree to talk to each other, but if you cross the line into a complete lack of civility, that's not going to happen on this show.”

Following the post, CNN released a separate apology saying it was banned Girdusky from returning to the network. “There is no room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our show,” the statement said. “We will not allow guests to be humiliated or to cross the line of politeness.” In another video, Phillip clarified that Hasan had also decided not to return to the panel despite being invited back.

Although he claimed he apologized during the segment, Girdusky only addressed his grievances about the ban on Twitter. “You can stay at CNN when you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatari-funded media outlets,” he wrote, presumably referring to Hasan. “Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America sees what CNN stands for.”