Ex-MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan lands at the Guardian after network ouster, tells Biden to ‘end bombing of Gaza’

Ex-MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan lands at The Guardian
Ex-MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan lands at The Guardian
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Former MSNBC anchor and Palestinian supporter Mehdi Hasan was hired by the Guardian after getting pushed out by the left-leaning network last month.

The British-born journalist penned his first column for the UK publication Wednesday, calling on President Biden to “end the bombing of Gaza right now.”

Hasan was booted from his MSNBC anchor chair in early January after network leaders said the primetime broadcast of his “The Mehdi Hasan Show” on Sundays suffered a ratings decline.

The cancellation was criticized as part of MSNBC’s effort to muzzle Muslim voices as a result of the conflict between Israel and Gaza, per a report from Semafor in October.

Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has joined the Guardian as a columnist. Getty Images
Former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan has joined the Guardian as a columnist. Getty Images

MSNBC — which also sidelined anchors Ali Velshi and Ayman Mohyeldin following Hamas’ terror attack on Oct. 7 — has denied the accusations.

During the final broadcast of “The Mehdi Hasan Show,” the hard-charging interviewer surprised viewers by adding that he would also be leaving MSNBC.

After spending three years in the anchor chair, he was leaving to “look for a new challenge” as a new year brings “new plans.”

The leading British news organizaion published an opinion piece by Hasan on Wednesday — his first as a regular columnist for the Guardian US — and it called on President Biden to “end the bombing of Gaza right now.” SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The leading British news organizaion published an opinion piece by Hasan on Wednesday — his first as a regular columnist for the Guardian US — and it called on President Biden to “end the bombing of Gaza right now.” SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

“I have been poring over columns in the Guardian since I was a teenager. Now I get to write some of my own, in what is perhaps one of the busiest and biggest news years of my lifetime,” Hasan said in a statement to Semafor. “It’s a huge honor and a privilege.”

The liberal news site’s US editor Betsy Reed also told Semafor: “We’re proud to provide a platform for his incisive political commentary, relentless advocacy for human rights and free speech, and fearless accountability for those in power.”

Hasan previously worked at Qatar-backed Al Jazeera English and left-leaning publication the Intercept.

It wasn’t immediately clear how often Hasan would be publishing his column for the Guardian, which is headquartered in London and has offices in New York and Australia.