D.C. Resident Forlesia Cook, Whose Grandson Was Murdered, Thanks Trump and Backs Tougher D.C. Crime Laws
February 18, 2026 · The White House · 0:02:14
Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube
What happened
The White House posted a short video on February 18, 2026 featuring D.C. resident Forlesia Cook, who lost her grandson to murder, according to the White House’s description and recording. Cook said one thing she likes about President Trump is that, in her words, he keeps it real, and that she can trust him because he says exactly how he feels and what he thinks.
Cook said she was filled with gratitude because the President allowed his people to come to her house to interview her about her grandson’s murder. She said she had marched and rallied as an advocate for murder victims and brought out other D.C. families with unsolved murders, but that nobody heard her until, as she put it, this Republican sent his people to interview her in her home. She said she was then invited twice before Congress to testify for legislation she said will change crime in the District.
Cook stated her positions plainly: if you kill somebody and take a life, you do life; if you commit a crime, you do the time, as she framed the sentencing principle. She said the District needs the National Guard, as it had years ago, and credited the President with bringing it. She closed by rejecting criticism of her support, telling viewers to get off the President’s back and let him do his job because he is doing the right thing, as she argued in the video.
Why it matters
Cook’s testimony is the human case the White House puts forward for its D.C. crime policy — a victim’s advocate who says she was unheard until the administration came to her, backing life sentences and the Guard deployment in her own words.
Sources: The White House, “MUST WATCH: D.C resident thanks President Trump for his work to Make America Safe Again 👏🇺🇸”, 2026-02-18 (official upload, embedded above; published 2026-02-18). Transcript via Supadata (private research store, paraphrased and attributed, not republished). All figures and characterizations as stated by the speakers.
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