CNN has suspended conservative commentator Ryan James Girdusky following his offensive remarks directed at British-American journalist Mehdi Hasan.

During a tense debate on the programme CNN Newsnight with host Abby Phillip, Girdusky made a reference to a series of explosive incidents involving handheld communication devices in Lebanon, saying, “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.”

In response to the incident, CNN issued a statement affirming its commitment to maintaining a respectful environment, declaring, “There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air.”

The context of Girdusky’s comment stems from recent violence in Lebanon, where nearly 40 people lost their lives and thousands were injured in a wave of attacks linked to exploding pagers, walkie-talkies, and other handheld devices, which were attributed to Israel. The incident has raised significant concerns about the rhetoric used in discussions surrounding sensitive geopolitical issues.

On CNN Newsnight, guests engaged in a heated discussion about the upcoming US presidential election, focusing on the controversial rally held at Madison Square Garden by Republican candidate Donald Trump.

Hasan, co-founder of the new media company Zeteo, criticised the rally’s rhetoric, pointing out that several speakers, including Trump, made racist and sexist comments targeting minority groups such as Black Americans, Latinos, and Jews.

He acknowledged that labelling Trump and his supporters as Nazis is “inflammatory.” But he added, “If you don’t want to be called Nazis, stop doing, stop saying,” before being interrupted by Ryan James Girdusky. The conservative countered by stating that Hasan has been called an “anti-Semite more than anyone at this table.”

In response, Hasan said: “I am in support of the Palestinians, so I am used to it.”

Girdusky then said: “I hope your beeper doesn’t go off”, in an apparent reference to the pager attacks in Lebanon.

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Phillip, the host, slammed Girdusky and apologised to Hasan. Later, Girdusky was removed from the panel of guests.

“There is a line that was crossed there, and it’s not acceptable to me,” Phillip said.

“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,” CNN said.

While clarifying that the conservative commentator would not be welcomed back at the network, CNN said: “We will not allow guests to be demeaned or for the line of civility to be crossed.”