Right-wing personality Ryan Girdusky was unapologetic in his first comments since being booted from CNN after suggesting a Muslim co-panelist was a terrorist on Monday night. Girdusky was removed and later banned from CNN after his appearance on NewsNight in which he told journalist Mehdi Hasan, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” after a discussion surrounding Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally went off the rails. The quote is a reference to recent pager bombings in Lebanon that killed at least 42 people. Hasan had expressed support for Palestine when Girdusky made the verbal jab. The comment sent shockwaves across the live panel, and Girdusky was ultimately removed, while Hasan chose not to return to the panel after a commercial break. CNN later confirmed Girdusky was gone for good, saying in a statement, in part, “There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air.” Despite apologizing on air during the confrontation, Girdusky had fewer apologies later. “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,” he wrote in a post on X.
