Veteran journalist and CNN international correspondent Larry Madowo has become the target of an intense wave of racist hate following his recent fact-checking segment on controversial claims made by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
At the heart of the storm is Madowo’s investigative report, which challenged Trump’s assertion of a so-called “white genocide” in South Africa. Trump had claimed that white farmers in South Africa were being systematically killed, even presenting graphic images as “proof.” But as Madowo revealed, the images had nothing to do with South Africa.
“I fact-checked President Trump’s ‘white genocide’ claims on CNN. Then came the racist hate mail,” Madowo wrote on social media.
The CNN journalist backed his findings with a Reuters investigation, showing that the photos Trump cited were actually from the Democratic Republic of Congo. The images, taken by a Reuters photographer, depicted humanitarian workers handling body bags in Goma, following an attack by the rebel group M23—not white farmers in South Africa.
A Torrent of Hate and Racist Abuse
Since the segment aired, Madowo has been bombarded with vile emails—many laced with racial slurs, threats, and deeply disturbing wishes for him to suffer terminal illness. One email ominously ended with: “It’s gonna be a long four years,” referring to Trump’s presidential term.
Displaying his trademark composure and wit, Madowo responded with sarcasm:
“This person created a new email address just to be racist to me. I admire the commitment.”
