Who is Ryan James Girdusky? Abby Phillip issues apology as CNN bans guest over beeper remark about Mehdi Hasan
On October 28, British-American journalist and political commentator Mehdi Hasan appeared on CNN’s show NewsNight with Abby Phillip where he shared a heated exchange with fellow guest, writer, and political consultant Ryan James Girdusky.
Disclaimer: This article has references that may upset the readers. Discretion is advised.
The duo was arguing about Donald Trump’s campaign rally at the Madison Square Garden and how it was being compared to the 1939 Nazi rally at the same venue.
“If you don’t want to be called Nazis, stop doing, stop saying,” Mehdi Hasan said in this regard.
However, he was interrupted by Girdusky who pointed out that Mehdi was referred to as an “anti-Semite more than anyone at this table.” When Hasan responded by saying, “By you,” Ryan denied ever calling him that.
Subsequently, when the Zeteo founder explained that he was “used to” being called antisemite because of his “support of the Palestinians,” Girdusky went on record to say, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.”
It was a reference to the exploding beepers of the Hezbollah group which killed several civilians in Lebanon recently and made global headlines. However, Girdusky referenced the Hamas group instead, as the argument went sideways. Later, Mehdi Hasan took serious offense, which made Ryan James Girdusky apologize on live TV.
Notably, CNN banned Girdusky on their network, while Abby Phillip later issued an apology on the channel’s behalf via X. She wrote, “I take this very seriously and want to again apologize to @mehdirhasan and I hope he’ll join us another time.”
All you need to know about Ryan James Girdusky amid his “beeper” remark to Mehdi Hasan
Ryan James Girdusky, a political consultant and writer from New York, began his career in 2007 with NYC Councilwoman Helen Sears, as per his website. Since then, he's worked on campaigns for figures like Michael Bloomberg and Bob Turner and contributed to groups such as Liberty for All Super PAC.
From 2015 to 2017, he was a senior writer at Red Alert Politics, with his work featured in publications like The Washington Examiner, The American Conservative, and The Daily Caller. He's also made numerous appearances on TV, radio, and news shows.
Recently, he penned the book They’re Not Listening: How the Elites Created the National Populist Revolution.
Exploring Abby Phillip’s apology and CNN’s statement in the wake of Hasan-Girdusky drama
On Monday night, Ryan James Girdusky and Mehdi Hasan appeared on Abby Phillip’s NewsNight show on CNN, where they got into a verbal match while discussing Trump’s recent MSG campaign rally. Girdusky told Hasan how he hoped the latter’s “beeper” didn’t “go off,” insinuating that he was seemingly aligned with a militant organization.
A shocked Mehdi responded by saying, "Did you just say I should be killed on live TV?" and turned to Abby Phillip with the same disbelief. The host in turn called out Girdusky on live TV stating, “That is completely out of pocket. You know that.” Immediately after, Ryan apologized. However, he was escorted out of the room after the commercial break, following which Abby offered her own apology to Mehdi Hasan.
She mentioned how a line was “crossed” which was “not acceptable” to either her or the network. She explained how they encouraged civil discussions and conversations during the “heated” time that was this ongoing political season. However, if anybody crossed boundaries, they would strictly boycott them.
After the show aired, Abby Phillip also took to X and shared a statement from CNN.
“There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air. We aim to foster thoughtful conversations and debate including between people who profoundly disagree with each other in order to explore important issues and promote mutual understanding,” it read.
The statement further continued, “But we will not allow guests to be demeaned or for the line of civility to be crossed. Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back at our network.”
Meanwhile, Phillip echoed similar sentiments and clarified how she or the channel didn’t ask Mehdi Hasan to leave rather they “really wanted him to come back and finish the show.” However, it was his choice to exit. Abby also mentioned how she and CNN really hoped that the former MSNBC anchor would consider returning to their network as a guest, for another one of their shows.
Notably, Mehdi Hasan has not addressed the matter publicly at the time of writing. He, however, reposted Abby Phillip’s apology post on X. Meanwhile, Ryan James Girdusky responded to the backlash by writing on the platform, “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.”