Melania Trump lobbied on Monday at the Capitol for a bill that would make it a federal crime to post intimate images on the internet, whether real or fake, and said it was “heartbreaking” to see what teenagers, especially girls, face after being victims of people who spread such content.
It was her first solo public appearance since resuming the role of First Lady on January 20. She called on the Republican-controlled Congress to prioritize the well-being of young people.
Melania Trump arrived at the Capitol wearing a three-piece cinnamon-colored suit, a black tie, a buttoned white blouse, and matching high-heeled shoes.
Why does Melania Trump support this law?
“This toxic environment can be extremely harmful. We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with the necessary support and tools to navigate this hostile digital landscape,” he said during a roundtable discussion on the Retire It Act at the Capitol.
“Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves freely, without the imminent threat of exploitation or harm,” he stated.
The Senate approved the law in February, and Melania Trump’s public support could help it move through the Republican-controlled House and reach President Donald Trump’s desk to become law.
The main sponsors of the bill are Senators Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas, and Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota; and Representatives Maria Salazar, a Republican from Florida, and Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Pennsylvania.
Cruz, who organized the discussion in the Mansfield Room of the Capitol, told the first lady that her leadership “is incredibly important and I am confident that it will play a critical role in speeding up the approval of this bill and in getting it enacted into law”.
He said the measure was inspired by Elliston Berry and his mother, who visited his office after Snapchat refused for nearly a year to remove a non-consensual graphic image generated by artificial intelligence, also known as a “deepfake,” of the then 14-year-old teenager. Elliston and other victims shared their stories on Monday.
Meta, owner of Facebook and Instagram, supports the legislation.
The bill would make it a federal crime to post or threaten to post intimate images online without an individual’s consent, including computer-generated realistic intimate images of identifiable individuals. Social media platforms would have 48 hours to remove such images and take steps to remove duplicate content after a victim’s request.
The President of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, a Republican from Louisiana, also attended the roundtable and expressed his support for the bill, but did not offer a timeline for a vote. “We are eager to bring it to the House floor, to send it to President Trump’s desk for his signature because we have to do what we can to stop this, and I am a strong supporter of it,” Johnson said.
The first lady also criticized the Democrats, saying she hoped more of them would participate in the discussion. California Representative Ro Khanna was the only Democrat in the room.
“Surely, as adults, we can prioritize the children of the United States over partisan politics,” he stated.
The appearance of the first lady alongside Cruz occurred years after the senator and her husband had a bitter campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination. At one point, Trump falsely accused Cruz of being behind an ad released by an anti-Trump super PAC that featured a suggestive photo of the current first lady, a former model, taken during a photoshoot for GQ.