Forlesia Cook drew significant attention at a Black History Month event hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump, where she strongly defended him against accusations of racism.

Cook, whose grandson was murdered in 2017, took the stage to praise Trump’s tough-on-crime policies and responded to critics of his approach to Black Americans.

“I love him. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say about racist issues. And don’t go on the news attacking me for defending someone who deserves to be defended. Leave the man alone. Let him do his job. He’s doing the right thing. Leave him alone. And that’s what Grandma says,” Cook said.

The official White House account later shared a clip of her remarks on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting her gratitude for the president’s efforts to “Make America Safe Again.”

Trump responded warmly to Cook’s speech, saying, “Wow, that’s pretty good. When are you going to run for office? Forlesia, what position are you running for? Please, you have my support. You have my support, Forlesia. Thank you, honey.”

Cook also commended Trump for deploying the National Guard to Washington, D.C., and for what she described as his authenticity. “I like that about him. He stays real, like my grandmother. I appreciate that because I can trust him,” she said.

The murder of her grandson

On April 23, 2017, Cook’s 22-year-old grandson left home for a date with a woman he had met online and never returned.

Four months later, his body was discovered along a highway in Maryland. He had been shot multiple times before being abandoned. Authorities did not identify him until January 2018.

His killer, John Jabbar McCrae, was later arrested and, in 2024, sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter.