Melania Trump Breaks Her Silence as First Lady with Public Comments About Revenge Porn

Melania Trump made her first public remarks of President Donald Trump's second term on Monday, March 3, heading to Capitol Hill to address lawmakers.

The first lady joined a roundtable discussion in Washington, D.C., in support of the "TAKE IT DOWN" Act, a new bill that aims to protect victims of deepfake and revenge pornography. Revenge porn is the non-consensual sharing of someone else's sexual images, while deepfake porn is sexual content generated by artificial intelligence.

The bill, introduced by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, has support from members of both parties and has already passed in the Senate.

Related: Melania Trump 'Doesn’t Believe She Has Obligations in the Political World,' Source Says (Exclusive)

Melania's appearance at the congressional roundtable marked a departure from her usual reputation of avoiding politics.

“I was heartened to learn that Sen. Cruz and Sen. Klobuchar unified to prioritize this fundamental matter," she noted, before highlighting that the room was filled mostly with Republicans. "Surely as adults, we can prioritize America’s children ahead of partisan politics.”

Cruz’s website explains that the “TAKE IT DOWN” Act “would criminalize the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII), including AI-generated NCII (or ‘deepfake pornography’), and require social media and similar websites to have in place procedures to remove such content upon notification from a victim.”

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Deepfake porn has targeted major celebrities like Taylor Swift and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It’s also ramped up concerns about child pornography.

In December, two juvenile students at a Pennsylvania private school were charged with 59 counts of sexual abuse of children, among other crimes, for creating and distributing deepfake images of their female classmates.

Related: The Moment I Learned Someone Made Deepfake Porn of Me — and How I’m Fighting Back

"The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities," Melania, 54, told the assembled politicians and members of the press. "Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people."

"It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes," she continued. "This toxic environment can be severely damaging. We must prioritize their well-being by equipping them with the support and tools necessary to navigate this hostile digital landscape."

The first lady asserted that passing the bill can "take an important step towards ensuring accountability and fostering responsible online behavior."

After a 59-minute discussion among lawmakers and guests about the issue, Melania stuck around for an additional 10 minutes to greet people, according to a White House pool report.

Related: Melania Trump 'Leads Her Own Life' 1 Month into Husband's Second Presidency (Exclusive Sources)

Monday’s event was one of only a few official appearances that Melania has made in Washington since Inauguration Day. A political source recently told PEOPLE that she has primarily split her time between the White House residence and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., over the past month.

“She leads her own life and joins him when appropriate in either place," the source said, adding that the first lady has "her own ideas on what she wants to do."

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The "nontraditional" first lady is also currently producing an Amazon Prime documentary about her life. Variety reports that the project, directed by Brett Ratner, is set to be released in the second half of 2025.

“Melania has been busy shooting her documentary and that has taken place in several locations, including the White House,” a Miami political source previously noted.

Related: Barron Trump: All About Donald Trump's Youngest Son

Sources have previously told PEOPLE that Melania prefers to distance herself from her husband's political activities.

“Politics is not her world,” a social source in Palm Beach and New York told PEOPLE in early February, claiming that unlike her husband, she “couldn't care less how she looks politically.”

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Melania made waves when she shared that she does not agree with Donald's anti-abortion views.

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