Melania Trump calls out low Democrat attendance at revenge porn roundtable
First lady Melania Trump took a swipe at Democratic lawmakers for their low attendance at a roundtable on deepfakes and revenge porn legislation in what marked her first public remarks since President Trump was sworn in to his second term.
The first lady told the roundtable at the Capitol she "was heartened to learn" Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) "unified to prioritize this fundamental matter."
"I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue," she added. "Surely as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”
The roundtable was centered on the Take It Down Act, a bill sponsored by Cruz and Klobuchar that would make it a federal crime to knowingly post or threaten to publish realistic, computer-generated pornographic images and videos that attempt to show identifiable, real people on social media and elsewhere online.
The bill passed in the Senate last month and heads to the GOP-controlled House. The measure also passed the upper chamber last session and was included in an original end-of-year funding plan in the House but was later taken out amid funding negotiations.
The co-leads of the House and Senate versions of the bill were invited to the roundtable.
Neither Klobuchar nor Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-Pa.) — the House version's co-lead — attended.
When reached for comment, Klobuchar thanked the first lady "for shining a light on this important issue" and said she "welcome[s] her support for the bill."
“We must provide victims of online abuse with legal protections when intimate images are shared without their consent, especially now that deepfakes are creating horrifying new opportunities for abuse," she added.
"I’m grateful for the first lady's support, and I'm thankful to work with a bipartisan, bicameral group of lawmakers on a commonsense bill that will better protect Americans and meaningfully regulate AI," Dean said.
"As AI becomes more ubiquitous in our lives, it is essential that we safeguard survivors of explicit deepfakes and non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII) that often devastate girls and women," Dean added. "Whether their attackers used deepfake technology or a simple camera, victims deserve federal protection and the peace of mind that these images are removed from the Internet."
Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) was the only Democrat present for the event. While not a co-lead on the House bill, the California Democrat has spoken out in support of the measure in the past.
Republicans present included Cruz, House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (La.), House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain (Mich.), Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), House Republican Policy Committee Chair Rep. Kevin Hern (Okla.) and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Brett Guthrie (Ky.).
The first lady said she hoped the roundtable boosts awareness of the harms caused by nonconsensual image posting and the approval of the Take it Down Act in Congress.
The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities," Melania Trump said. "Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people."
The first lady pointed to the increasing use of artificial intelligence (AI), adding it is "heartbreaking" to see teenagers grapple with the challenges posed by intimate imagery online.
"We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape," she said. "Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themselves freely without the looming threat of exploitation or harm."
During her husband's first term, the first lady spearheaded a youth initiative called "Be Best," which focused on combatting issues facing children with regards to well-being, online safety and opioid abuse.
She has reportedly expressed interest in bringing the initiative back and referenced it in her remarks.
"I can think of no more important issue for our first lady to lead on than protecting children online," Cruz said as he introduced Melania Trump.
Online safety advocates, including survivors of nonconsensual intimate imagery, were given the chance to speak on their experiences and call for the passage of the measure in the House.
"If you're a victim of revenge porn or AI generated explicit imagery, your life changes forever," Cruz said during opening remarks. "Most likely, you've been targeted by someone you know, and you're likely struggling to have that material removed from the internet. Disturbingly, many of these victims are teenagers at American high schools who are facing a surge in AI-generated sexual images."
Cruz said the Take It Down Act would empower victims across the U.S. and requires leading technology companies to have a notice of takedown process to speed up the process of getting distributed images removed from the internet.
The Texas senator ended the roundtable thanking Khanna for his attendance and noted the bipartisan support the bill has in the Senate.
"Senator Klobuchar is the lead Democrat author, " he said, adding, "I'm confident there are issues that divide us on partisan bases, but this should not be one of them."
"This should be one that we all come together and say, 'Look, we need to protect our kids. We need to keep them safe,'" Cruz continued.
Updated at 6:46 p.m. EST
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