- Melania Trump voiced support for a bill making 'revenge porn' a federal crime.
- The proposed legislation, named the Take It Down Act, was introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz.
- The act would criminalize posting nonconsensual intimate images, including those generated by AI.
First Lady Melania Trump made her first public appearance on Monday, the same day as her husband and President Donald Trump, where she advocated for a bill that would make “revenge porn” a federal crime.
“The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families and communities,” she said during a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill. “It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deepfakes.”
“This toxic environment can be severely damaging. We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with the support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape.”
The Take It Down Act, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz last year, makes it illegal to knowingly post “consensual intimate imagery, including AI-generated NCII, and require social media and similar websites to have in place procedures to remove such content upon notification from a victim,” according to the 2024 press release.
The bill passed the Senate on February 13. Trump asked for the House to pass the bill. House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated he is ready to shepherd the bill past the finish line.
“As the dark side of technology advances, these unspeakable evils become part of the culture the law has to keep up,” he said. “We were anxious to put it on the floor in the house, to get the President Trump’s desk for signature, because we’ve got to do what we can to stop this.”
Several members of Congress joined Trump, including Cruz, R-Texas, and Reps. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., Lisa McClain, R-Mich., and Kevin Hern, R-Okla.
Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., was the only Democrat in the room, according to pool reports.
Trump called out the left for not leaning into the bipartisan issue of digital protection and privacy.
“I must admit,” she said, “I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”
The roundtable also featured victims, including Elliston Berry, a 15-year-old. A year ago, doctored sexually-explicit images of her began circulating online.
“Shock and disgust were just some of the many emotions,” she said. “I came here today to not only promote this bill but to fight for the many survivors.”
Cruz said he learned about the case through Berry’s mother, who had attempted to get the images taken down from a social media app, Snapchat, but failed.
“I turned to my staff in my office that afternoon, and I said, I want you to get the CEO of Snapchat on the phone today,” Cruz said, adding the pictures were taken down within a few hours. But, he said, “it should not take a sitting senator or sitting member of Congress picking up the phone to get a picture down or a video down.”