Ryan James Girdusky was permanently banned from CNN after making a beeper joke about fellow panelist Mehdi Hasan. Hasan was appalled that someone would liken him to a Hezbollah terrorist supporter. Meanwhile, Democratic Socialists are worried about how Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are going to remain funded if Iran is off the table.
Hasan wouldn't be the butt of beeper jokes if he didn't do everything he could to come across as an Islamist extremist doing his best to keep it under the guise of journalism. This time, Hasan was upset that CNN's Jake Tapper mentioned the thousands of Iranians killed under the dictatorship of Ayatollah Khamenei. Actually, estimates are that about 40,000 Iranian protesters were gunned down. Meanwhile, Dana Bash does a softball interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu without bringing up the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians he's killed. Not even Hamas claims that many.
Michigan Dem El-Sayed Dodges When Jake Tapper Confronts Him About Saying People Were 'Sad' Over the Death of the Ayatollah https://t.co/SEm9Wie3MV
— Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 19, 2026
Interesting that Tapper mentions how bad Ayatollah Khomeini was for killing ‘thousands’ of Iranians given his colleague Dana Bash just did a softball interview with Benjamin Netanyahu who has killed *tens of thousands*, maybe *hundreds of thousands*, of Palestinians in Gaza. https://t.co/VXmMRxhtZy
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 20, 2026
He actually put thousands in quotes.
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) July 20, 2026
This Islamist nut job doesn’t actually believe the Iranians killed protesters.
And notice his complete unwillingness to criticize the dead Ayatollah, resorting to deflection instead. That’s the tell. https://t.co/gIxgR0U1g0
I put it in quotes because I was quoting Tapper. I am on the record saying Iran killed thousands of people and even - unlike you - challenged an actual Iranian official about those deaths.
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 20, 2026
Are you really this dumb? Or just really that dishonest?
Tens of thousands of people, mostly soldiers, died in a war with Israel. That’s significantly different from killing 30,000 of one’s own civilians. Is this how you win “every argument”?
— Seth Barron (@SethBarronNYC) July 20, 2026
There’s a stark difference between collateral damage in a war and massacring tens of thousands of people exercising free speech.
— Evan Ross (@MrEvanRoss) July 20, 2026
You know that, but you will continue to pretend they’re the same thing.
What a moronic take. The Ayatollah murdered his own citizens. Israel is in a war with terrorists thugs who purposely put civilians in harm’s way just to earn points with left wing media like you.
— Robert Resnick 🇮🇱🇺🇸 (@RobertResnick) July 20, 2026
The fact that you think those deaths are morally equivalent is why I think you're a clown.
— Armed Liberal (@TheArmedLiberal) July 20, 2026
You don’t have to “what about” to the Ayatollah killing thousands. But of course YOU do.
— Eli Lebowicz (@EliLebowicz) July 20, 2026
Israel responded to a terrorist attack. Iranian regime used terror to murder its citizens. You know this but don't care.
— Marvin Wolfert מאיר אליעזר🇮🇱 (@MeirEliezer) July 20, 2026
Comparing a war to the ayatollah’s mass murder of his own citizens protesting is insane. He’s gone thank God and the regime is still hanging innocent people daily. I know you thought highly of the monster and thats your problem.
— Neese (@DCurto7165) July 20, 2026
Weird that you claim crazy claims way way larger than your Hamas friends. Do you know something they don’t?
— bogursky (@bogursky) July 20, 2026
And 45K of those Palestinians were Hamas.
— Ellie🐦⬛אלי 🏳️⚧️ (@CaliCh33sehead) July 20, 2026
Mehdi doesn't know the difference between a war zone and peaceful Iranian protesters. By conflating the two, he offers tacit support for the murder of tens of thousands of people subjugated by Islamist tyranny.
— Jan Sobieski (@jan_sobieski83) July 20, 2026
You’re a journalist, right? What on Earth is the word “maybe” doing in that post. If you believe Israel has killed “hundreds of thousands” in Gaza then say so and be prepared to bring receipts.
— Daniel Sevitt (@danielsevitt) July 20, 2026
Your “maybe” is pure propaganda. “Maybe” you beat your wife. See how that works?
Whataboutism. You just can’t bring yourself to criticize the dictator.
— Justen Cole (@this_justen) July 20, 2026
He was one of the sad people who Abdul El-Sayed was worried about upsetting.
That beeper joke was tame.
***
Editor's Note: For decades, former presidents have been all talk and no action. Now, Donald Trump is eliminating the threat from Iran once and for all.
Help us report the truth about the Trump administration's decisive actions to keep Americans safe and bring peace to the world. Join Twitchy VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member