In her first solo public appearance, First Lady Melania Trump slammed Democrats for skipping a meeting on the “Take it Down Act,” a bill dealing with youth online safety and criminalizing revenge porn.
After being introduced on Capitol Hill by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Melania Trump declared that she was there “with a common goal, to protect our youth from online harm.”
The bill, which was proposed by Cruz, would “criminalize the distribution of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII),” including “deepfake pornography” generated by artificial intelligence (AI),” according to a press release from Cruz’s office.
I am looking forward to a robust discussion with @FLOTUS.
My bill, the TAKE IT DOWN Act, passed unanimously in the Senate with a 100-0 vote.
This crucial legislation will protect ALL Americans, especially teenagers and young women.
We need to get this done! https://t.co/JwsPQQpLNV
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) March 3, 2025
Melania Trump urged Congress to pass the bill, pointing out how important it is to protect American children from harm.
“Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people,” she said during a panel discussion with victims of NCII. “I hope today’s roundtable builds awareness of the harm caused by non-consensual intimate imagery and eventually the approval of the ‘Take it Down Act’ in Congress.”
“In today’s AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarmingly high. As organizations harness the power of our data, the risk of unauthorized access and misuse of personal information escalates,” Melania added. “We must prioritize robust security measures and uphold strict ethical standards to protect individual privacy.”
The first lady went on to thank Cruz and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) for working together in a bipartisan fashion to push this bill — while also chastising Democrats for skipping the meeting.
“I was heartened to learn that Sen. Cruz and Sen. Klobuchar unified to prioritize this fundamental matter,” Melania said. “I must admit, however, 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.”
She concluded by once again urging Congress to “prioritize the passage of the ‘Take it Down Act’ bill” — stating that the measure was essential to deal with the “growing concerns of online safety.”
First Lady @FLOTUS @MELANIATRUMP on 'Take it Down Act': "I must admit, however, 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." pic.twitter.com/0j9MIRv3cu
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 3, 2025
The “Take it Down Act” passed in the Senate with bipartisan support in February, but has not yet passed in the House of Representatives.
