President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised his wife Melania's efforts for legislation against deepfake and revenge pornography but couldn't resist making the moment about himself.
During his joint address to Congress, Trump commended the First Lady, seated beside 15-year-old Elliston Berry from Aledo, Texas, a victim of an AI-generated deepfake image. He also acknowledged Senate Majority Leader John Thune for pushing the legislation forward.
"I'm going to use that bill for myself, if you don't mind," Trump said, making the guests chuckle. "Nobody gets treated worse than I do online. Nobody."
Melania Trump's advocacy marks her return to the Capitol for the first time this term. On Monday, she met with lawmakers to push for the passage of the 'Take It Down' bill, a bipartisan effort to make revenge porn a federal crime.
The legislation, which has already cleared the Senate, criminalises the posting of intimate images - both real and AI-generated - without consent and mandates tech companies to remove such content within 48 hours.
"It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes," Melania Trump said in her first solo public appearance of the new administration. "In an era where digital interactions are integral to daily life, it is imperative that we safeguard children from mean-spirited and hurtful online behaviour."
The 'Take It Down' bill has gained bipartisan backing, with Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota leading the Senate effort. House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie indicated that his panel would schedule a hearing on the bill in the coming weeks.
Melania Trump's push for online protection builds upon her previous 'Be Best' campaign, launched during her husband's first term, which focused on child well-being and online safety.
President Donald Trump, in his first address to Congress, outlined his key policies, including a crackdown on illegal immigration and gender identity issues. He declared that there were only two genders - male and female - and announced the end of diversity and inclusion programs in the federal government. "The US will be woke no longer," he said.
Trump also defended his economic decisions, including pausing military aid to Ukraine and imposing 25 per cent tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico. Tariffs on Chinese goods were raised from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. His speech focused on what he called "the renewal of the American dream."
