Last year, Ryan Girdusky insinuated that Mehdi Hasan was a terrorist with a quip at the former MSNBC host while appearing on CNN. Hasan noted he hasn’t returned since, and questioned if he, like Girdusky, has been banned.
On October 28, 2024, Hasan and Girdusky were panelists on CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip. As part of the conversation, Hasan said that he supports Hamas, so he’s used to being criticized by those on the right.
Girdusky then responded with “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” a reference to Israeli intelligence officers equipping electronic devices used by the Hamas terrorist organization with batteries that would heat and explode, intentionally injuring or killing their users.
At the time, the panel delved into chaos between Hasan and Girdusky, leading to a viral yet controversial moment. The following day, CNN shared that it had permanently banned Girdusky from appearing on the network for his statements.
However, one year later, Hasan is questioning if he has also been banned. In a post on social media, he shared he has not been invited back to the network since the incident.
“A racist tried to make a ‘joke’ about me being killed by Israel. It was the 1st time I’ve ever walked off of live TV,” said Hasan. “That night CNN said they’d ban the racist from their air. But in the year since, I myself haven’t been invited back on CNN. So was I banned too? The victim of the abuse, alongside the abuser?”
CNN has not responded to Barrett Media’s request for comment on the statements made by Medhi Hasan.
Barrett Media produces daily content on the music, news, and sports media industries. To stay updated, sign up for our newsletters and get the latest information delivered straight to your inbox.
