CNN's NewsNight sparked controversy on Monday when Trump supporters Ryan Girdusky addressed a comment to fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan that many condemned as an ethnic insult. Following the program, CNN condemned Girdusky's comments, said there was no tolerance for racism and announced he was no longer welcome on the network.
What happened?
During a debate about Donald Trump's rally at Madison Square Garden, which was widely compared to a 1939 Nazi rally at the same location, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made controversial remarks about Puerto Rico, further fueling the anti-Trump rhetoric of fascism.
While speaking about the rally, Hasan remarked, “If you don't want to be called Nazis, stop your actions,” but was interrupted by Girdusky, who claimed this Hasan was called an “anti-Semite” more than anyone else.
Hasan just countered Girdusky considers him an anti-Semite. Girdusky responded sharply to Hasan, saying, “I hope your pager doesn't go off,” in what is widely seen as a veiled reference to Hasan – known for his outspoken stance on Palestinian rights and his criticism of Israel's military actions, particularly after October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks and Israel's response.
Hasan was visibly surprised and asked, “Did you just say I should die?”

The exchange prompted immediate criticism from fellow panelists and the show's host, Abby Phillip, who deemed Girdusky's comment “totally out of pocket.” Girdusky responded with an apology.
After a commercial break, Phillip announced Girdusky's withdrawal from the show, saying, “A line has been crossed, and that's unacceptable to me.” That's unacceptable to us at this network. We want a discussion… but if you cross the line into a complete lack of civility, that's not going to happen here on this show.”
CNN says zero tolerance for bigotry; Girdusky doubles down
Phillip later elaborated on the incident in a statement posted on Twitter, clarifying that Hasan was welcome to continue the show but had chosen not to return. “As you may have seen, Ryan was asked to leave the show and we issued a statement saying he was not welcome on our show,” she wrote. “We really wanted (Hasan) to come back and finish the show… but I just wanted to make sure you all knew that didn't happen there.”

Following the broadcast, CNN released a statement saying the broadcast promotes meaningful discussion and debate, even between people who hold strongly opposing views. However, CNN made it clear that they would not tolerate insulting guests or violating the boundaries of civility.
“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 discuss important issues and promote mutual understanding. However, we will not allow guests.” “If Ryan Girdusky is demeaned or crosses the line of civility, he will not be welcomed on our network,” CNN's statement said.

However, Girdusky toughened his stance after the broadcast, tweeting: “You can stay on CNN when you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatari-funded media.” Apparently you can't go on CNN if you make a joke . I’m glad America sees what CNN stands for.”

CNN is normalizing anti-Muslim hatred: Rashida Tlaib
The exchange was condemned by public figures, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who wrote on -American, called CNN's airing of such statements “completely unsurprising” given recent trends.
Mehdi Hasan – a controversial past
Mehdi Hasan's past comments have often been a point of contention, particularly statements he made over a decade ago regarding non-Muslims, atheists and LGBTQ people. In resurfaced notes, Hasan compared atheists to “cattle” and included homosexuals in a list of behaviors he described as contradicting Islamic teachings.
At one point he said: “Once we lose the moral high ground, we are no different from those who live their lives like animals, bending every rule to fulfill every desire.” In response to the backlash to these statements, Hasan has since expressed his regret, calling them “stupid, offensive, ranty stuff” from his twenties that he no longer supports.
When he apologized in 2019, he explained that his comments were meant to sound bombastic and that he now found them embarrassing and unrepresentative of his beliefs.
Beeper vs. pager
In September, thousands of modified pagers became tools of destruction in an attack on Hezbollah. Israeli activists inserted explosives into these devices, which were originally intended for communication, and they exploded when a routine message was received. This resulted in at least 11 deaths and over 2,800 injuries in Lebanon. The pagers, manufactured by Taiwanese company Gold Apollo, were secretly modified by Israeli intelligence and distributed to Hezbollah disguised as standard equipment to ensure their effectiveness.
For many, calling these devices “beepers” seems derogatory, especially given the deadly consequences of the operation, which claimed numerous lives and spread fear across Lebanon. Casual use of “beeper” risks trivializing the incident and its impact and reducing a tragic event to outdated technology terminology.