Conservative Pundit Permanently Banned from CNN Over…

Conservative Pundit Permanently Banned from CNN Over Racist Attack on Guest Claims He Was Just Joking

The now-banned conservative commentator who told a fellow CNN guest that he hopes his "beeper doesn't go off," took to social media to defend his statement as "a joke."

During a heated exchange, Ryan James Girdusky told Muslim broadcaster Mehdi Hasan, a Guardian US columnist, that he hoped Hasan's "beeper doesn't go off" — a comment referencing Israel's recent targeting of Hezbollah fighters with exploding pagers. Hasan responded immediately, asking if Girdusky was implying he should be killed.

Girdusky to Hasan: I hope your beeper doesn't go off pic.twitter.com/YmHhYnkDZ3
— Acyn (@Acyn) October 29, 2024

After a commercial break, anchor Abby Phillip issued an on-air apology to Hasan and CNN viewers, calling the comment "completely unacceptable" and confirming that Girdusky had been removed. CNN later released a statement saying, "There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air," and confirmed Girdusky would not be welcomed back.

Following the incident, Girdusky took to X (formerly Twitter), asserting that his comment was a joke and criticizing CNN for what he claimed was a double standard, saying, "Apparently you can't go on CNN if you make a joke."

You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar-funded media. Apparently you can't go on CNN if you make a joke. I'm glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.
— Ryan James Girdusky (@RyanGirdusky) October 29, 2024

The contentious exchange coincided with recent backlash to racially charged comments made by a comedian during a Donald Trump rally in New York over the weekend. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe called Puerto Rico a "floating island of garbage," and made several offensive comments about Latinos, Jews, and Black people.

In a defense similar to Girdusky's, Hinchcliffe accused his critics of having "no sense of humor."

These people have no sense of humor. Wild that a vice presidential candidate would take time out of his "busy schedule" to analyze a joke taken out of context to make it seem racist. I love Puerto Rico and vacation there. I made fun of everyone...watch the whole set. I'm a... https://t.co/VFxHRcdv5k
— Tony Hinchcliffe (@TonyHinchcliffe) October 27, 2024

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