The US broadcaster says it has “no room for racism” after Girdusky told Hasan: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.”

CNN has banned a conservative commentator after he verbally attacked British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan by referring to a series of exploding handheld devices in Lebanon that targeted Hezbollah.

“I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” Ryan James Girdusky said Monday during a heated debate with Hasan, a prominent broadcaster and outspoken critic of Israel’s war on Gaza, on CNN Newsnight with host Abby Phillip.

In a statement, the network said: “There is no room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our show.”

Nearly 40 people were killed and thousands injured in two days of unprecedented attacks in September when pagers, walkie-talkies and other handheld communications devices blamed on Israel exploded across Lebanon.

CNN Newsnight guests debated the upcoming United States presidential election and Republican candidate Donald Trump’s controversial Madison Square Garden rally, including comments from comedian Tony Hinchcliffe about Puerto Rico.

Hasan, founder of new media company Zeteo, criticized the rhetoric at the rally, where several speakers, including Trump, made racist and sexist comments aimed at several minority groups, including black Americans, Latinos and Jews.

At one point, Hasan acknowledged that the accusation that Trump and his supporters were Nazis was “inflammatory.”

“But if you don’t want to be called a Nazi, then stop saying that,” Hasan said, before being interrupted and discussed by Girdusky, who went on to note that Hasan himself “calls himself an anti-Semitic more than anyone else.” was at this table”.

“I support the Palestinians, so I’m used to it,” Hasan said.

Girdusky then replied, “I hope your pager doesn’t go off,” apparently in reference to the mass attacks in Lebanon.

“Did you just say I should die?” Did you just say that I should be killed?” Hasan replied.

Phillip, the host, reprimanded Girdusky and apologized to Hasan after a commercial break, noting that Girdusky had been removed from the group of guests.

“A line has been crossed that is not acceptable to me,” Phillip said.

CNN also said in its statement: “Our goal is to promote thoughtful conversations and debates, including between people who deeply disagree, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding.”

Split @CNN‘s statement and a quick message from me about what happened on the show tonight.

I take this very seriously and would like to apologize to you again @mehdirhasan and I hope he comes to us another time. pic.twitter.com/O9l0Ftv5NZ

— Abby D. Phillip (@abbydphillip) October 29, 2024

“But we will not allow guests to be humiliated or to cross the line of politeness. Ryan Girdusky will no longer be welcome on our network,” it continued.

Hasan, who hosted Al Jazeera Head to head Show, has yet to comment on the incident. However, he shared CNN and Phillip’s statements on the social media platform X.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the think tank Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said: “Every day we think we have hit rock bottom, and every day we are proven wrong.”

Girdusky later posted on