Mehdi Hasan reflects on heated on-air exchange and what it symbolises against backdrop of US election
by Flaminia Luck · LBCBy Flaminia Luck
Politicals commentator Mehdi Hasan spoke to LBC about his recent heated on-air exchange - and what it symbolises in the context of the US election.
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Last week, CNN has banned conservative writer Ryan Gidursky from the network following a contentious on-air exchange in which he told panellist Mehdi Hasan that "I hope your beeper doesn't go off".
The comment was in reference to attacks in Lebanon and Syria where pagers and walkie-talkies used by hundreds of Hezbollah members exploded simultaneously, killing 39.
Hasan told John Sopel and Shelagh Fogerty that the exchange was "astonishing".
He said he had endured racism and Islamaphobia for many years - but this was different.
He added: "It goes to the heart of where we are in the US right now. We are living in a country where some of the worst elements - Far Right, nativist, demagogic - have been emboldened by Donald Trump, by JD Vance, by Elon musk, by others.
"This is what makes this election today so important."
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He stressed it's not just about a candidate winning.
"It's about a group of people getting permission to do what they havent been about to do for years - which is be openly racist and violent."
He also stated that the Republican party ran a "openly fascistic, racist, sexist, misogynistic campaign."
Read more: Donald Trump claims 'massive cheating' in Philadelphia before slap-down by city's district attorney
CNN banned conservative writer Ryan Gidursky from the network following the contentious on-air exchange.
Host Abby Phillip said that Gidursky's beeper comment was "completely out of pocket" and he apologised.
After an ad break, he was gone.
Phillip apologised to Hasan and to viewers. She said Gidursky had crossed a line.
Despite that fragmentation, Phillip said that "we can have conversations about what is happening in this country without resorting to the lowest ... kind of discourse".
CNN, saying there is "zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air", said that Gidursky would not be allowed back on the network.
Gidursky responded in a post on X, saying: "You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi" but apparently cannot "if you make a joke. I'm glad America gets to see what CNN stands for".