Who is Forlesia Cook? 'Let him do his job': Grieving 'grandma' shuts down racism accusations against Trump in a fiery viral speech - Check out the video

Forlesia Cook is a grieving grandmother who went viral after delivering an emotional and fiery speech defending Donald Trump against accusations of racism. Cook, who tragically lost her grandson to violence in a 2017 shooting, spoke passionately about her personal pain and rejected claims that Trump is racist. In the widely shared video, Cook forcefully defended the US President, pushing back against claims that he is racist and urging critics to 'get off this man’s back' and allow him to do his job. Her raw, unscripted remarks quickly spread across social media, sparking intense debate, praise from Trump supporters, and criticism from opponents, turning her into an unexpected viral figure.


Cook, a fiery grandmother from Washington, DC, addressed the crowd with an emotional defense of Trump at the Black History Month event, applauding his hardline approach to crime and sharply responding to critics who question his record on issues affecting black Americans.


“I love him. I don’t want to hear nothing you got to say about that racist stuff,” she said as her voice rose in intensity.

“And don’t be looking at me on the news, hating me because I’m standing up for somebody that deserves to be standing for. Get off the man’s back. Let him do his job. He’s doing the right thing. Back off him.

“And grandma said it.”

Cook also commended Trump for deploying National Guard troops to Washington, DC, and for what she described as his straightforward, no-nonsense approach.

“I like that about him. He keeps it real, just like Grandma. I appreciate that, because I can trust him,” she further said.


As soon as she finished speaking, the audience in the East Room of the White House burst into loud applause and cheers.

Cook has repeatedly spoken publicly about the devastating loss of her grandson, Marty William McMillan Jr., including testifying before the United States Congress about his killing. On April 23, 2017, the 22-year-old left home to meet a woman he had connected with online but never returned. Four months later, his remains were found along a highway in Maryland.

Investigators determined he had been shot multiple times before his body was abandoned, though his identity was not confirmed until January 2018. The case was eventually solved, and in 2024, John Jabar McRae was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter.

Following Cook’s emotional speech, Trump thanked her publicly and even encouraged her to consider running for office.

“Wow, that’s pretty good. When is she running for office? Forlesia, what are you running for office? Please, you have my endorsement. You have my endorsement, Forlesia. Thank you darling,” he said.