Why did Abby Phillip kick a guest off her show?

In a recent episode of CNN NewsNight, host Abby Phillip made a notable decision by ejecting guest Ryan Girdusky mid-show after a contentious and offensive exchange with fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan. The tension escalated during a discussion about Donald Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden, where comedian Tony Hinchcliffe had made disparaging remarks about Puerto Rico, calling it a “floating island of garbage.” This led to a sharp disagreement between Girdusky and Hasan over issues including racism and accusations of antisemitism.

The exchange took a severe turn when Girdusky made a controversial comment referencing recent violent incidents in Lebanon, which Hasan interpreted as a threat, asking Phillip, “Did your guest just say I should be killed on live TV?” Phillip condemned Girdusky’s remark as “completely out of order,” ultimately resulting in Girdusky’s removal from the show after the commercial break.

Upon returning, Phillip addressed the situation, apologizing to Hasan and emphasizing CNN’s commitment to civil discourse and intolerance for racism or bigotry on its platforms. CNN later released a statement reinforcing this stance, confirming that Girdusky would not be invited back to the network.

Girdusky later responded on X (formerly Twitter), criticizing CNN, suggesting the network allows criticism of Republicans while censoring jokes, illustrating the broader implications of the heated exchange.