First Lady Melania Trump made her first appearance on Capitol Hill, speaking out in a roundtable discussion focused on combating revenge porn. Melania, known for her advocacy on behalf of children and women’s rights, used the opportunity to address the devastating impact of non-consensual pornography. With a strong emphasis on the need for legal action, she urged lawmakers to strengthen penalties and protections for victims of this form of digital abuse.
On Monday, Melania returned to Capitol Hill for the first time since her husband, President Donald Trump, returned to the White House to introduce the “Take It Down” Act.
The act will focus on raising awareness of the harm caused by nonconsensual intimate imagery and make it a felony for an individual to circulate AI-generated pornographic images of minors and adults online. Technology companies would have just 48 hours to remove such exploitive images from their sites after a victim requests an image to be taken down. Penalties include up to three years in prison for minors and two years for adults.
“I am here with you today with a common goal — to protect our youth from online harm," she said. “The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities. Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people. I hope today’s roundtable builds awareness of the harm caused by nonconsensual intimate imagery and eventually the approval of the Take it Down Act in Congress.”
WATCH: @FLOTUS speaks in support of the Take It Down Act — legislation to protect Americans against the nonconsensual sharing of intimate images, including deepfakes pic.twitter.com/oy4fgKvjNh
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 3, 2025
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn) introduced the bill in the Senate. It has the support of multiple Republican lawmakers and 21 Democratic co-sponsors.
The roundtable hosted three female victims of AI-generated pornographic images. Two of the women, from Texas and New Jersey, were just 14 years old when their high school classmates created fake pornographic images that were circulated online.
“I was 14 years old when a classmate created AI nudes of me from an innocent social media picture,” Ellison Berry said. “I was 14 years old when I was violated all over social media, and I was just 14 years old when my innocence was stripped away.”
The other female shared her story, saying that in 2023, "a past Instagram photo with a nude body and my fave attached made from AI" was spread on social media.
“It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes," Melania Trump said. "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. Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm."
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