Former First Lady Melania Trump is expected to make a public appearance on Monday, marking her first public event since her husband's return to the presidency. The event is designed to highlight her support for legislation aimed at protecting Americans from deepfakes and revenge porn. Her advocacy signals a renewed focus on issues she championed during her previous tenure.
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03-03, 2025According to the former First Lady's office, Mrs. Trump will host a roundtable discussion on Capitol Hill on Monday, focusing on the "TAKE IT DOWN" Act. This bill seeks to strengthen protections for victims of non-consensual image sharing, including content generated by artificial intelligence, specifically deepfake pornography. The Act aims to provide legal recourse and support for those affected by such violations.
Over the past year, victims of AI-generated non-consensual pornographic images have included high-profile women such as Taylor Swift, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and even high school girls. These incidents have highlighted the prevalence and harmful nature of such actions. The widespread nature of these incidents underscores the urgent need for protective legislation.
The bill, introduced by Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, aims to "criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate images (NCII), including AI-generated NCII (or ‘deepfake porn’), and require social media and similar websites to establish procedures to remove such content upon notification by a victim," according to Cruz's office. The bill passed the Senate with bipartisan support during the previous Congress but failed to pass the House. This renewed effort aims to address the legislative gap and protect individuals from online exploitation.
Cruz, along with a bipartisan group of lawmakers including Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Representative Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, are reintroducing the bill, and the former First Lady is now joining in supporting it. During President Donald Trump's first term, Melania Trump launched her "Be Best" platform, which included a focus on online safety. In an interview before the November election, she said she was interested in reviving those efforts and suggested she might tackle "new issues." She told Fox News in October, "Children are suffering. We need to help them and educate them." Her continued advocacy highlights the importance of online safety for children and adults alike.
During her husband's second term, the former First Lady has had limited time in Washington thus far. After attending the inauguration and traveling with her husband to North Carolina and California, which were recently affected by natural disasters, Melania Trump was absent from the White House from January 24 to February 22, after which she reappeared to host a dinner with state governors. CNN reported during the presidential transition that the former First Lady was expected to spend most of her time between New York and Florida, where her son Barron attends college. Sources familiar with her thinking said at the time that she would still attend major events and would have her own platform and priorities as First Lady. Despite spending time outside of Washington, she is committed to her role and responsibilities.
Despite her public statements about traveling back and forth along the East Coast, the former First Lady had previously emphasized that she would be in Washington, D.C. In a January 13 interview with Ainsley Earhardt of Fox News, when asked where she planned to spend her time, Trump said, "I will be in the White House. And, you know, when I'm in New York, I'll be in New York. When I'm in Palm Beach, I'll be in Palm Beach." She continued, "But my priorities are, you know, to be a mother, to be a First Lady, to be a wife, and to serve the country once we take office on January 20th." Since Inauguration Day, the President has also spent a significant amount of time in Florida, traveling to Miami or Palm Beach for his first four weekends in office. Her commitment to her family and the nation remains steadfast, regardless of her location.
