Mehdi Hasan has broken his silence for the first time following Ryan Girdusky’s outrageous pager threat on 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 spate of booby-trapped pager explosions in Lebanon last month, when Israel attacked Hezbollah fighters, killing at least 32 people and injuring thousands.
Following the comments, which were broadcast live, Hasan responded in a six-minute video statement on his news site, Zeteo.
After telling viewers how he had interviewed and debated “controversial, opinionated, offensive people,” he had never been “more flabbergasted 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 night
Conservative panelist Ryan Girdusky (right) was thrown 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’ve interviewed, debated, and fought with controversial, opinionated, insulting people from all over the world, sitting presidents and prime ministers, former directors of the CIA and Mossad, Trump officials, Biden officials, a spokesman for Netanyahu, a spokesman for Hamas, 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 flabbergasted by what was said to me that I had to walk off the set in the middle of a live show, as I did Monday night 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 more of an anti-Semite than anyone else at this table” for his comments on the ongoing Israel-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 his assassination.
Hasan looked at Girdusky and asked, “Did you say I should 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 by saying I support the Palestinians by actually inciting violence against me, and suggesting that I might be blown up like Hezbollah members do. and Lebanese civilians were blown up by Israel via their beepers in what former CIA chief Leon Panetta called a clear terrorist attack.
“That’s what Gerduski casually suggested could happen to me. JD Vance associate Ryan Gerduski. Trump supporter Ryan Gerduski. Because in his head, when he hears Palestinian, he hears Hamas.
‘When he sees Muslim, he sees Hamas.
“Now he and his right-wing friends are saying, I called him, I called all Republicans Nazis, which of course I didn’t.
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 Palestinian 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 guy’s response to that was to imply that I’m a terrorist who could be killed by Israel.
“A line that was not a joke and that he 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 permission structure that Trump and Vance have created with the help of some in our media who have happily set up their platform for it.
Who is Medhi Hasan?
But I will continue to speak out. I will continue to do the work. And so should you.’
Girdusky defended his comments on Twitter/X Tuesday morning, saying: “You are allowed to stay on CNN if you are going to falsely call every Republican a Nazi and take money from Qatari-funded media.
“Apparently you are not allowed to be on CNN if you are joking. I am 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 on our broadcasts. We strive to foster 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 tolerate demeaning guests or crossing the line of civility. Ryan Girdusky is no longer welcome on our network.”
Girdusky responded angrily to his firing on social media after the show ended.
“You can stay on CNN when 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.