'I hope your pager doesn't go off': CNN guest banned for explosive remark

TOI correspondent from Washington: The argument over whether some American right-wingers deserved to be called Nazis already flared up when a liberal guest said he was a Nazi supporter Palestinian cause and he is used to being called an anti-Semite. “Well, I hope your pager doesn’t go off,” snapped the one on the right MAGA Guest. There was a moment of stunned silence on the podium as the significance of the remark sunk in; It was a reference to Israel's infamous targeted killing of suspected Hamas activists using remote-controlled explosives in beepers.
“Did you just say I should die?” …Are you a racist, violent person who incites violence against me?” asked liberal commentator Mehdi Hasan amid cross-talk, even as the CNN Host Abby Philip and other guests stopped by Ryan Girduskya MAGA commentator, for the explosiveness. He was heard saying he believed Hasan supported Hamas and apologizing as CNN took a break. When the show returned, Girdusky was not in the seat, and CNN later said he had been banned from the network.
Girdusky later said he viewed the remark as a “joke” and posted on when you make a joke. I’m glad America sees what CNN stands for.”
But the episode highlighted the widening divide between left and right in a polarized America that is now on the brink of tension with just a week to go. Traditional news networks and traditional media outlets, long dominated by liberal voices, are struggling to find a balance between conflicting narratives while toxic guests with sharp elbows and whiplash tongues ignominiously confront each other. More and more partisan Americans are tuning in or being bombarded with comments and discussions that reinforce their beliefs, thanks to clickbait algorithms.
The broadcasters' dilemma in trying to balance narratives was described by Matthew Sheffield, a former television guest writer who also describes himself as a former right-wing activist who is now a progressive author and commentator. “Like all mainstream media shows, we have continually tried to host balanced panel discussions. But we always had a problem: It was very difficult to find Republicans who weren't crazy,” Sheffield said in a series of posts on X, now owned by MAGA superhero Elon Musk. “More than a few times, people who were 'alt-right' activists were indicted before I removed them…Other times, we couldn't find anyone who was actually qualified to talk about the news of the day without hectic behavior.” “
Sheffield further argued that the Republican elites had a huge quality problem on their side, but they didn't want to do anything about it because they realized that introducing information hygiene would shrink their very unstable coalition, and “they chose extremism over centrism. ” .” He also called for deplatforming dishonest and bigoted Republicans in the mainstream media, arguing that America needs to hear what the far right thinks, but we don't need to listen to their bigotry and trolling.
The right-wing media sees it differently and often rails against an MSM supposedly dominated by liberals (a proven fact) that promotes narratives that are rarely questioned. MSG's characterization of the Trump rally as a “neo-Nazi” gathering and Trump as a “fascist” is the latest flashpoint in this fight. Having struggled to gain traction in the MSM, MAGA commentators have now established themselves on social media. Algorithms ensure that the MAGA faithful largely only hear their version of news and events, just as liberal commentary is allowed to do.
Lost in this deeply polarized America – the middle ground that is quickly disappearing into a divide.