Mehdi Hasan Marks Anniversary Of Beeper Joke, Wonders If He, The Abused, Is Also Banned From CNN

Posted • October 29, 2025: We apologize for missing a very important anniversary on Tuesday. It was exactly one year ago that CNN panelist Ryan Gidursky told fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan, "I hope your beeper doesn't go off," essentially calling Hasan a terrorist. Host Abby D. Phillip kicked Gidursky off the show, and he was banned from appearing on CNN. CNN also posted a statement saying that "there is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air." Philip also posted a brief video saying she really hoped that Mehdi would come back again soon. But did she really mean it? Hasan didn't forget the anniversary and wondered on X if he, too, the victim of verbal abuse, had been banned from CNN. —— Mehdi Hasan @mehdirhasan: “"I hope your beeper doesn't go off." A year ago today, a racist tried to make a 'joke' about me being killed by Israel. It was the 1st time I've ever walked off of live TV. That night CNN said they'd ban the racist from their air. But in the year since, I myself haven't been invited back on CNN. So was I banned too? The victim of the abuse, alongside the abuser? @CNN @CNNPR”

We don't know what Hasan is worried about or why he's nagging CNN by tagging them. He now has his own media empire, Zeteo. Here's the abuser, Gidusky, reflecting on the incident: —— Ryan James Girdusky @RyanGirdusky: “Oh fuck Medhi, it was a joke, unlike when you compared gay people to pedophiles and non-Muslims to animals. You called Trump supporters far worse on air and I didn’t blink an eye, because I’m not a thirsty bitch crying on Twitter for the lowest rated network to have me on. - Imagine commenting on the one year anniversary of a joke to try and get booked on a show with 60k viewers. Lmao. What a bitch.” https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/G4X0qF0XAAAOWEi.mp4 —— You have your own show and you're crying that CNN doesn't want you back? https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/G4bnGs1WwAAsn1c.mp4 —— Sounds like CNN denaturalized and deported you from their channel. A fine precedent. This is the guy who wrote the book, "How To Win Any Argument," which is apparently screeching "racist!" & turning off replies 😂 He knows Ryan Gidursky isn't racist. Beeper joke was obviously about Hasan's Hezbollah sympathies. Hezbollah isn't even a race and Mehdi isn't Arab. (…)

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https://twitchy.com/brettt/2025/10/29/mehdi-hasan-marks-anniversary-of-beeper-joke-wonders-if-he-the-abused-is-also-banned-from-cnn-n2421006