In a significant move, CNN has announced that conservative commentator Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back on air following his racist comments during “CNN NewsNight with Abby Phillip.” The incident occurred during a heated exchange regarding support for Palestinians, where Girdusky made a deeply offensive remark referencing the violent targeting of Hezbollah militants in Lebanon.

During Monday’s prime time broadcast, after Muslim journalist Mehdi Hasan expressed his support for Palestinians, Girdusky responded with, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” alluding to the tragic pager explosions in the region. This prompted Hasan to question whether Girdusky was implying he should be killed on live television. Girdusky further escalated the situation by erroneously linking Hasan’s stance on Palestinian rights to the terrorist group Hamas.

Phillip swiftly condemned Girdusky’s comments, stating, “That is completely out of pocket. You know that,” and later apologized to viewers for the inappropriate remarks. Girdusky later claimed he misunderstood Hasan’s statement, but both Phillip and Hasan dismissed his defense as inadequate.

Upon returning from a commercial break, Phillip addressed the audience and Hasan directly, emphasizing that Girdusky’s comments were “completely unacceptable.” She reinforced the network’s commitment to civil discourse, stating, “There was a line that was crossed there, and it’s not acceptable to me. We want discussion. We want people who disagree with each other to talk to each other. But when you cross the line of a complete lack of civility, that is not going to happen here on this show.”

This incident highlights ongoing concerns about the standards of discourse in media and the responsibilities of commentators in fostering respectful dialogue.

Follow us on our socials @empfricfmradio for more updates.