Grandmother Tells Critics to Back Off Trump and 'Let Him Do His Job'

Washington, D.C., grandmother Forlesia Cook is back in the news for her unequivocal support for Donald Trump. After heaping praise on the president during the White House Black History Month event, Cook has once again spoken highly of Trump and urged even Democratic Party voters to support him.

In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Cook credited Trump for reducing crime rates in the capital. She said, “Stop voting for party. Vote for causes, vote for those that you see are making changes, the right changes that are keeping us safe.”

Cook lost her 22-year-old grandson, Marty McMillan, to gun violence in 2017. At the time, McMillan went on a date with a woman he met online, and was shot seven times by her lover, John Jabar McRae. The culprit was arrested and sentenced to 16 years in prison in 2024.

During the interview, Cook said that because she has lost a loved one to violence, she believes the country deserves a leader who works to reduce crime and ensure justice for all.

Cook said, “I see his vision. I know that what he's doing, a lot of people are looking at it in the wrong aspect. But tell me this, will you look at it different if it was your loved one that's murdered, and you didn't get justice?”

“When I vote for someone, I vote for the issues. I vote for the causes; I stand up for the causes, and we need to get over parties and races,” Cook said. Trump has long claimed that his order to deploy National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., has lowered crime rates.

There is ongoing political debate over the claim because some experts say crime is declining naturally and other cities have also registered lower rates without federal troop deployment.

Meanwhile, Cook has challenged critics who accuse Trump of racism. During the Black History Month event, she was invited to the stage by Trump. Addressing the audience, Cook said, “I love him. I don’t want to hear nothing you got to say about that racist stuff.”

She continued, “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.”

Her address drew applause from attendees, and Trump praised her remarks. He jokingly asked her to run for office, saying “Forlesia, what are you running for office? Please, you have my endorsement. You have my endorsement, Forlesia. Thank you, darling,” Trump said.

Cook’s comments came earlier in February after Trump received backlash for sharing a video on Truth Social that depicted Michelle and Barack Obama as apes. After widespread criticism, Trump said a staff member had posted the clip and that he had not watched it fully.