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A2 u.s. news
Tuesday 4 March 2025

Melania Trump says it’s ‘heartbreaking’ to watch teens grapple

with the fallout from revenge porn

By DARLENE SUPERVILLE It was her first solo public digital landscape," she said
Associated Press appearance since she re- during a roundtable discus-
Melania Trump on Monday sumed the role of first lady sion about the "Take It Down
lobbied on Capitol Hill for a on Jan. 20. She called on Act" at the U.S. Capitol.
bill that would make it a fed- the Republican-controlled "Every young person de-
eral crime to post intimate Congress to prioritize the serves a safe online space
imagery online, whether well-being of young people. to express themself freely,
real or fake, and said it was "This toxic environment can without the looming threat
"heartbreaking" to see what be severely damaging. We of exploitation or harm," she
teenagers and especially must prioritize their well-be- said.
girls go through after they ing by equipping them with The Senate passed the
are victimized by people the support and tools neces- "Take It Down Act" in Feb-
who spread such content. sary to navigate this hostile ruary, and Melania Trump's

First lady Melania Trump, from center to right, followed by
Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and House Speaker Mike Johnson,
R-La., walks through the Capitol, Monday, March 3, 2025, in
Washington.
Associated Press
public backing could help tic, computer-generated
usher it through the Repub- intimate images of people
lican-controlled House and who can be identified. Social
to President Donald Trump's media platforms would have
desk to become law. The 48 hours to remove such im-
bill's chief sponsors are Sens. ages and take steps to de-
Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Amy lete duplicate content after
Klobuchar, D-Minn., and a victim's request. "Having an
Reps. Maria Salazar, R-Fla., intimate image – real or AI-
and Madeleine Dean, D-Pa. generated - shared without
Cruz, who hosted the discus- consent can be devastating
sion in the Capitol's Mansfield and Meta developed and
Room, told the first lady that backs many efforts to help
her leadership "is incredibly prevent it," communications
important and I'm confident director Andy Stone said on
it's going to play a critical X. House Speaker Mike John-
role in accelerating the pas- son, R-La., also attended the
sage of this bill and getting roundtable and expressed
it passed into law." his support for the bill but
He said the measure was in- offered no timetable for a
spired by Elliston Berry and vote.
her mother, who visited his "We are anxious to put it on
office after Snapchat re- the floor in the House, to get
fused for nearly a year to re- it to President Trump's desk
move an AI-generated non- for his signature because
consensual graphic image, we've got to do what we
also known as a "deepfake," can to stop this, and I am a
of the then 14-year-old. Ellis- full supporter of it," Johnson
ton and other victims shared said.
their stories Monday. The first lady also took a
Meta, which owns and op- swipe at Democrats, say-
erates Facebook and Ins- ing she expected more of
tagram, supports the legis- them to participate in the
lation. discussion. California Rep.
The bill would make it a Ro Khanna was the only
federal crime to knowingly Democrat in the room.
publish or threaten to pub- "Surely as adults, we can
lish intimate imagery on- prioritize America's children
line without an individual's ahead of partisan politics,"
consent, including realis- she said.q