Mehdi Hasan Addresses Racist Beeper Comment CNN Panelist Made About Him

Political commentator Medhi Hasan has spoken out about Monday night’s CNN broadcast in which a conservative panelist on air with him implied he was a member of Hezbollah and supporter of Hamas.

Hasan, a British American journalist born to Indian Shia Muslim parents, said receiving the comment from fellow panelist Ryan Girdusky ― who has since been banned from the network ― was one of the most shocking experiences of his career.

“Never in my 25 years as a journalist and 15 years of doing live TV, have I been so stunned by what was said to me that I had to walk off set in the middle of a live show, as I did on Monday night on CNN,” Hasan, who runs the media company Zeteo, said in a video posted to social media.

<div class="js-react-hydrator" data-component-name="Twitter" data-component-id="4442" data-component-props="{"itemType":"rich","index":5,"contentIndexByType":2,"contentListType":"embed","code":"

\"As shocked and stunned as I was, there was no way I was going to let him say that to me, unchallenged.\"

My response to the racism & incitement on Monday, to a CNN pro-Trump panelist telling me: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,\" because I said I supported Palestinian rights. pic.twitter.com/GJCAC1vAKd

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 30, 2024

","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Mehdi Hasan","author_url":"https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan","cache_age":86400,"description":"\"As shocked and stunned as I was, there was no way I was going to let him say that to me, unchallenged.\"My response to the racism & incitement on Monday, to a CNN pro-Trump panelist telling me: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,\" because I said I supported Palestinian rights. pic.twitter.com/GJCAC1vAKd— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 30, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Mehdi Hasan on Twitter / X","type":"rich","url":"https://twitter.com/mehdirhasan/status/1851747810686705966","version":"1.0"},"flags":[],"enhancements":{},"fullBleed":false,"options":{"theme":"news","device":"desktop","editionInfo":{"id":"us","name":"U.S.","link":"https://www.huffpost.com","locale":"en_US"},"originalEdition":"us","isMapi":false,"isAmp":false,"isVideoEntry":false,"isEntry":true,"isMt":false,"entryId":"6722c2c0e4b0871068fdf829","entryPermalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/entry/mehdi-hassan-racist-beeper-comment-cnn_n_6722c2c0e4b0871068fdf829","entryTagsList":"cnn,mehdi-hasan,@us_huffpost_now","sectionSlug":"politics","deptSlug":"politics-news","sectionRedirectUrl":null,"subcategories":"media,us-news","isWide":false,"headerOverride":null,"noVideoAds":false,"disableFloat":false,"isNative":false,"commercialVideo":{"provider":"custom","site_and_category":"us.politics","package":null},"isHighline":false,"vidibleConfigValues":{"cid":"60afc111dcf87c2cd2f5d8bf","overrides":{"front_page_top_videos":{"desktop":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","mobileweb":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d"},"top_media":{"desktop":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","mobile":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"anthology":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"},"content":{"desktop":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","mobile":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","iphone":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","ipad":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","androidphone":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","androidtablet":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c"}},"playerUpdates":{"5668ae6ee4b0b5e26955d6a6":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","56aa41bae4b091744c0440d8":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81","5841b2b5cc52c716ec6e5a7f":"60b8e355cdd90620331ba185","58b5e2b8d85a10302feee895":"60b64316b171b7444beafdb2","58b74698f78ced31417819ae":"60b8e5bec5449357a7ad9b52","58b74ccecebcea57e2c3a3d1":"60b8e5eac5449357a7ad9ca5","58cff690d85a100b9992bc39":"60b8e616cdd90620331bb0ba","58cffb3fb6d9b972a49a3c9d":"60b8e643cdd90620331bb1f6","58cffdd74d96935d7d6ec180":"60b8e671c5449357a7ad9f66","58d03a84f78ced6518eb2fa7":"60b643c82e76be41f112735c","592edf20e0fa177b0c26f7fd":"60b8e699c5449357a7ada04c","5b35266b158f855373e28256":"60b64354b171b7444beaff4d","5c116f29f79c4171d82b7c2a":"60b64440b171b7444beb040b","5c1170fc600c9a697bf0c6b9":"60b646102e76be41f1127ffc","5c47791afa1b317df8ae0c4f":"60b8e6bdc5449357a7ada147","5c477987a6b48b35f164773d":"60b8e701c5449357a7ada2ee","5c4779ee943c3c2a64f28371":"60b8e747cdd90620331bb861","5c477a26fcd67b26879bc7c2":"60b8e788c5449357a7ada67b","5d8921a78c3ae845f366c9b6":"60ae7be5f3a7c13a30417ff9","58b98b00ba82aa39a6534321":"60d0de7c9340d7032ad1146c","58b9d14cb6d9b96c9ec32af3":"60d0dec19340d7032ad115a0","58cff8eccebcea42931e0436":"60d0e005b627221e9d819d44","592edf5de0fa177b0c26f95b":"60d0e38fb627221e9d81adcf","58cff72fd85a100b9992c112":"60d0e447b627221e9d81b0da","56b4d34fe4b022697697c400":"60d2472d9340d7032ad7e443","60b8e4c0c5449357a7ad957d":"60e869dc7c5f3b17b6741b81"}},"connatixConfigValues":{"defaultPlayer":"ff7fdddc-5441-4253-abc4-f12a33fad58b","clickToPlayPlayer":"d014396e-b366-4c17-aeac-3ce906fa3fd0","videoPagePlayer":"f010447b-d244-4111-a314-7b4542ae4145","verticalPlayer":"e58cb05a-0bc8-4210-9108-fea82726c065","stickyPlayerControl":"52ea1755-d601-4ad1-bccc-d8cce3f0e5da","stickyPlayerON":"8055e9e5-3bda-4933-8d45-9ad814fb6e22"},"topConnatixThumnbailSrc":"https://img.connatix.com/cbf348dd-a587-4c7d-8712-864b9a38a39d/1_th.jpg?crop=629:354,smart&width=629&height=354&format=jpeg&quality=60&fit=crop","customAmpComponents":[],"ampAssetsUrl":"https://amp.assets.huffpost.com","videoTraits":null,"positionInUnitCounts":{"buzz_head":{"count":0},"buzz_body":{"count":0},"buzz_bottom":{"count":0}},"positionInSubUnitCounts":{"article_body":{"count":2},"blog_summary":{"count":0},"before_you_go_content":{"count":0}},"connatixCountsHelper":{"count":1},"buzzfeedTracking":{"context_page_id":"6722c2c0e4b0871068fdf829","context_page_type":"buzz","destination":"huffpost","mode":"desktop","page_edition":"en-us"},"tags":[{"name":"CNN","slug":"cnn","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/cnn","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/cnn","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/cnn"},"department":{"name":"Latest News","slug":"politics-news"},"section":{"title":"Media","slug":"media"},"topic":{"title":"CNN","slug":"cnn","overridesSectionLabel":false},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/news/topic/cnn"},{"name":"Mehdi Hasan","slug":"mehdi-hasan","links":{"relativeLink":"topic/mehdi-hasan","permalink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/mehdi-hasan","mobileWebLink":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/mehdi-hasan"},"url":"https://www.huffpost.com/topic/mehdi-hasan"}],"isLiveblogLive":null,"isLiveblog":false,"cetUnit":"buzz_body","bodyAds":["

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-1\", \"entry_paragraph_1\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-2\", \"entry_paragraph_3\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n","

\r\n\r\n HPGam.cmd.push(function(){\r\n\t\treturn HPGam.render(\"inline-infinite\", \"repeating_dynamic_display\", false, false);\r\n });\r\n\r\n"],"adCount":0},"isCollectionEmbed":false}”>

“As shocked and stunned as I was, there was no way I was going to let him say that to me, unchallenged.”

My response to the racism & incitement on Monday, to a CNN pro-Trump panelist telling me: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” because I said I supported Palestinian rights. pic.twitter.com/GJCAC1vAKd

— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) October 30, 2024

The incident happened on Monday’s episode of “NewsNight With Abby Phillip” when Girdusky ― a pro-Donald Trump personality who’s made several recent appearances on the network ― said, “Yeah, well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off,” after Hasan expressed support for Palestinians.

Last month, at least 37 people were killed and thousands injured after hundred of pagers possessed by suspected Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon spontaneously exploded. The attack is widely believed to have been carried out by Israel.

Hasan was gobsmacked. “Did you just say I should die?” he asked in disbelief. “Did you just say I should be killed on live TV?”

The show broke for a commercial, and when it returned, Girdusky was gone and Phillip denounced his behavior. “There is a line that was crossed there, and it’s not acceptable to me,” she said.

In his video response Wednesday, Hasan said Girdusky’s remark was a clear racist attack.

“When he sees a Muslim in front of him, he sees Hamas,” he said, adding that he believes the beeper comment is “a line that wasn’t a joke and that he almost certainly came preprepared with, thinking he could get away with it on live national television.”

Your Support Has Never Been More Critical

Other news outlets have retreated behind paywalls. At HuffPost, we believe journalism should be free for everyone.

Would you help us provide essential information to our readers during this critical time? We can’t do it without you.

Can’t afford to contribute? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.

You’ve supported HuffPost before, and we’ll be honest — we could use your help again. We view our mission to provide free, fair news as critically important in this crucial moment, and we can’t do it without you.

Whether you give once or many more times, we appreciate your contribution to keeping our journalism free for all.

Whether you give just one more time or sign up again to contribute regularly, we appreciate you playing a part in keeping our journalism free for all.

Support HuffPost

Hasan also thanked co-panelist Ashley Allison, a senior official with President Joe Biden’s 2020 campaign, for condemning Girdusky on air.

“Where would we be as a country without Black women holding the line against racism and bigotry, and showing us what solidarity looks like?” he said of Allison.

Shortly after the incident on Monday, Girdusky criticized Hasan on social media, falsely accusing him of referring to all Republicans as Nazis, and slammed the network, saying: “Apparently you can’t go on CNN if you make a joke. I’m glad America gets to see what CNN stands for.”