Harris Campaign Highlights J.D. Vance’s Connection to CNN Commentator Fired for Racist Remarks

Senator J.D. Vance, a Republican from Ohio speaks to members of the media at the McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Institute of Technology campus following the first presidential debate in Atlanta, Ga. on June 27, 2024.

“The October Surprise is an advent calendar of racism,” Ben Collins, CEO of satire news site The Onion, late Monday night. With just a week remaining in the U.S. presidential race, Republican nominee former President ’s campaign has been dealt back-to-back blows by its own supporters—first a speaker at his , followed by a sympathetic commentator on CNN, both of whom made “jokes” at the expense of that to the election outcome.

During a discussion about the fallout from Trump’s Madison Square Garden rally on the program NewsNight, guest panelist —a British, progressive pundit and former MSNBC host—challenged Trump supporters: “If you don’t want to be called Nazis, stop doing—”

But before he could finish his sentence, fellow panelist , a political consultant who publicly supports Trump, told Hasan: “You’re called an anti-semite more than anyone else at this table.”

“I’m a supporter of the Palestinians, so I’m used to it,” Hasan responded, before Girdusky shot back, “Well, I hope your beeper doesn’t go off.”

The apparent reference to a recent attack on suspected Hezbollah militants in Lebanon involving sparked instant reaction from Hasan and the rest of the panel. “Are you a racist, violent person, inciting violence against me?” Hasan asked. “That’s disgusting,” another panelist said.

Girdusky claimed he misheard Hasan. “I thought he said Hamas. I apologize.”

After a commercial break, host to viewers and to Hasan for the “completely unacceptable” remark made during the previous segment and said that Girdusky was dismissed from the panel. “We want discussion, we want people who disagree with each other to talk to each other, but when you cross the line of a complete lack of civility, that is not going to happen here on this show,” she said. “We can have conversations about what is happening in this country without resorting to the lowest of the lowest kind of discourse.”

Hasan was also absent in the next segment, though Phillip said in a that he was not asked to leave. Phillip also shared a statement from CNN, which said: “There is zero room for racism or bigotry at CNN … Ryan Girdusky will not be welcomed back at our network.”

In a post on X later Monday night, , saying: “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.”

As clips of the incident went viral on social media, campaign officials for Democratic nominee Vice President swiftly seized the moment to connect Girdusky to GOP vice presidential nominee Ohio Sen. .

Ian Sams, Harris’ spokesperson, of an appearance Girdusky made on NewsMax in July in which Vance was described as Girdusky’s “friend and former boss” whom he “worked very closely with.” Girdusky explained his relationship with Vance in the interview. “In 2020, he reached out to me over Twitter, and we had built a friendship,” Girdusky said. “When Sen. Rob Portman announced his retirement, I called him and I said, ‘If you’re running, I want to be on the team.’” Girdusky became an adviser to Vance’s 2022 Senate race super PAC, Protect Ohio Values.

James Singer, a rapid response adviser for the Harris’ campaign, also of Vance and Girdusky from the website of American Moment—a group focused on recruiting and training “the next generation of Republican elites,” according to . The organization, for which Girdusky is as an adviser and Vance as a former board member, was an with conservative think-tank the Heritage Foundation in helping to create , the right-wing presidential transition blueprint that Trump and Vance have themselves from, , due to its and agenda.