CNN Bans Ryan Girdusky After Racist 'Beeper' Comment Made to Mehdi Hasan

Ryan Girdusky Banned From CNN ... After Racist 'Beeper' Comment to Mehdi Hasan

7:50 AM PT -- Ryan Girdusky is doubling down on his controversial comment ... defending his "beeper" remark was nothing more than a joke.

He tells TMZ ... "You can stay on CNN if you falsely call every Republican a Nazi and have taken money from Qatar funded media. Apparently, you can't go on CNN if you make a joke. I'm glad America gets to see what CNN stands for."

Ryan also penned a lengthy essay in response to the controversy, sharing he warned the network he wouldn't apologize for being Republican.

While he confessed to having a "go big or go home" mentality heading into the roundtable, he said he genuinely thought Hasan said he supported Hamas, rather than Palestine.

He added ... "I’m not a victim; I said what I said. I own it. Some people liked it; some people hated it. I don’t care. No one will remember it in a moment. That’s the way the news media works; it tries to feed outrage, fear, and anxiety to its dwindling audience in order to keep the lights on. I was just one more chink in the outrage machine’s chain."

Political commentator Ryan Girdusky will not appear on CNN again after making an offensive "beeper" comment to fellow guest Mehdi Hasan ... the network confirms.

In the aftermath of a heated debate on "NewsNight With Abby Phillip," which saw Girdusky suggesting Hasan had terrorist ties, the network issued a statement ... noting there is "zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN or on our air."

The show's host Abby Phillip, who condemned the remarks on air and also apologized in a video message about the incident, cosigned the network's message and ban of Girdusky.

Girdusky left the news program early Monday evening after making his controversial comment -- when he told Hasan "I hope your beeper doesn’t go off" after the latter declared his support for Palestinians amid a debate about antisemitism and the racial rhetoric at Donald Trump's Madison Square Garden rally Sunday.

The remark sparked outrage at the panel's table -- especially from Hasan, who felt Girdusky had suggested he "should be killed on live TV."

For those unfamiliar, Girdusky's "beeper" comment was a reference to when exploding pagers killed members of Hezbollah, a Lebanese-based militant group with ties to Hamas, in a targeted remote attack in September.

While Girdusky tried to defend his comment, suggesting Hasan voiced support for Hamas -- he had not -- he later issued a short apology ... which was not accepted by many at the table.

Girdusky was then asked to exit the program ... which also saw an early departure from Hasan. Though, Phillip later confirmed CNN did not ask MH to leave the show.

Per Phillip, they "really wanted him to come back and finish the show,” making it clear Hasan would be welcome back on the program in the future.