Mehdi Hasan has broken his silence for the first time following Ryan Girdusky’s scandalous pager threat during a CNN show.
Conservative panelist Girdusky, founder of the 1776 Project PAC, was removed from Abby Phillip’s show Monday night after telling the British-Muslim commentator, “I hope your pager doesn’t go off.”
This was a reference to a wave of booby-trapped pager explosions across Lebanon last month in which Israel targeted Hezbollah fighters, killing at least 32 people and injuring thousands.
After the commentary, which was broadcast live, Hasan responded in a six-minute video statement on his news site Zeteo.
After telling viewers how he interviewed and debated “controversial, opinionated, offensive people,” he has never been “more stunned by what was said to me on Monday night.”
Mehdi Hasan took to his news site Zeteo to break his silence following Ryan Girdusky’s CNN pager threat on Monday evening
Conservative panelist Ryan Girdusky (right) was kicked off the set of a CNN show after a wild exchange with liberal commentator Mehdi Hasan (left) about Trump’s heated rally in New York City
“I have interviewed, debated and sparred with controversial, opinionated, offensive people from all over the world, sitting presidents and prime ministers, former directors of the CIA and Mossad, Trump officials, Biden officials, a Netanyahu spokesperson, a Hamas spokesperson, an IRA leader, Vivek Ramaswamy.
But never, ever in my 25 years as a journalist and 15 years of live TV have I been so stunned by what was said to me that I had to leave the set in the middle of a live show, as I did on Monday. evening on CNN in New York when this happened,” he said.
He then shared a clip from the CNN show of the moment he and Girdusky clashed after the controversial speaker attacked Hasan, who he said was “called an anti-Semite more than anyone else at this table” for his commentary on the ongoing Israel war. Hamas war.
But when Hasan said he supported Palestinian rights, not Hamas, Gidursky made the squeaky comment.
The panel erupted and Hasan accused Girdusky of calling for him to be killed.
Hasan looked at Girdusky and asked, “Did you say I had to die?” You just said I should be killed.”
“No, no, I didn’t say that,” Girdusky replied.
He then turned to Phillip and asked, “Did your guest just say I should be killed on live television?”
The CNN segment ended with Hasan continuing his statement, adding, “Yes, that was far-right pundit Ryan Gerduski responding to me saying that I am supporting the Palestinians by actually inciting violence against me, suggesting that I may would be blown up the way Hezbollah members do. and Lebanese civilians were blown up by Israel through their pagers in what former CIA chief Leon Panetta called a clear terrorist attack.
“That’s what Gerduski casually suggested might happen to me. JD Vance contributor Ryan Gerduski. Trump supporter Ryan Gerduski. Because in his head, when he hears Palestinian, he hears Hamas.
‘When he sees a Muslim in front of him, he sees Hamas.
“Now he and his right-wing friends say: I called him, I called all Republicans Nazis, which of course I didn’t do.
Ryan Girdusky (second from right), an author and founder of 1776 Project PAC, told left-wing British-American commentator and Zeteo founder Mehdi Hasan: “I hope your pager doesn’t go off” when Hasan said he supported the Palestinians . rights
“Although white supremacist Richard Spencer apparently claims Godusky wrote for him.
“What I did say was that if you, as people, if you don’t want to be called a Nazi, don’t say Nazi-like things, as was said at the Trump rally in New York on Sunday.
‘Jews are cheap. Black people love watermelons. Muslims are terrorists. And this man’s response to that was to imply that I am a terrorist who might be killed by Israel.
“A line that wasn’t a joke and that he was almost certainly prepared for in advance, thinking he could get away with it on live national television.
“That’s how brazen these MAGA Republicans have become with their racism.
“That’s the consent structure that Trump and Vance created with the help of some in our media who have happily platformed it.
“But as shocked and dismayed as I was, there was no way I could let him say that to me unchallenged and I’m glad to see that CNN has since banned him from their airwaves, and I appreciate host Abby Phillip’s apology at the transmitter. viewers and for me after I left the set’.
Hasan then gave credit to fellow panelist Ashley Allison, a former Biden-Harris 2020 campaign staffer who blasted Girdusky after his comment.
“Where would we be as a country without Black women standing up to racism and bigotry and showing us what solidarity looks like? If Harris wins next week, it will be in part because her fellow Black women hold that line,” Hasan continued in his statement.
“And if she loses, and to be clear, because of her refusal to budge an inch on Gaza, Harris morally deserves to lose.
“We will have a Trump presidency, a white supremacist presidency, an anti-black, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic presidency, where people like the bigot I faced on CNN will be emboldened like never before.
“They won’t just run their mouths on TV panels against public figures like me. They are located at your child’s school gate. They are available at your supermarket. They will sit on your subway and proudly and shamelessly say these things to you too. They will also be in charge of US foreign policy, pushing Israel to carry out more pageant attacks, more acts of terror, and pushing Trump and Vance to be more racist and violent, both at home and abroad.
“A white, liberal friend of mine, while sending me a very supportive text message yesterday, asked me in good faith: Is it emotionally taxing to face this bigotry, or is it par for the course at this point? world? To which my answer is: unfortunately, we Muslims do not have thicker skin than everyone else.
‘We shouldn’t have thicker skin than everyone else either. We’re human, so of course it’s emotionally taxing. That’s the whole point. That’s why they do it.
“Racism is not just about dehumanizing you, but also about demoralizing and depressing you. It’s about beating you down and keeping you on the defensive, forcing you to fight an uphill battle and apparently even threatening you with a terrorist attack.
“As the one and only Toni Morrison so wisely, so eloquently and so rightly said, the function, the very serious function of racism is distraction. It keeps you from doing your job. It makes you explain the reason for existence again and again.
“Well, just to be clear, less than a week away from the most consequential election of our lifetimes, with genocide on the ballot, yes, but also fascism plus genocide on the ballot, I’m in no mood to explain myself to the racists. and bullies.
‘But I will continue to speak out. I will continue to do the work. And you should too.’
Girdusky defended his comments on Twitter/X Tuesday morning, saying, “You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and took money from Qatari-funded media.
“Apparently you can’t get on CNN if you’re joking. I’m glad America sees what CNN stands for.’
When reached for comment, a CNN spokesperson said Girdusky was no longer welcome at the network.
“There is no room for racism or bigotry on CNN or in our broadcasts. We strive to promote thoughtful conversations and debates, including among those who strongly disagree, to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding,” Shimrit Sheetrit told DailyMail.com in a statement.
‘But we will not allow guests to be humiliated or the line of civility to be crossed. Ryan Girdusky will no longer be welcome on our network.”
Girdusky responded angrily to his firing on social media after the show ended.
“You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatari-funded media. Apparently you can’t get on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America sees what CNN stands for,” he wrote.