Melania Trump is under fire after taking an unprecedented step that no First Lady before her has taken—personally signing a piece of legislation.
On Monday, May 19, President Donald Trump officially signed the Take It Down Act into law.
The bill, which Melania had been advocating for since March, targets the distribution of non-consensual exp.licit imagery, including AI-generated deepfakes and so-called “rev.en.ge p0rn,” making it a federal crime to knowingly publish or threaten to publish such content.
In a surprising move, Melania also signed the bill during the ceremony, despite not being an elected official, meaning her signature holds no legal weight.
Nevertheless, Trump encouraged her to add her name anyway.
“Come on, sign it anyway,” he told her. “She deserves to sign it.”
Trump also praised Melania’s efforts in promoting the legislation: “Honey, you’ve done amazing. When I first heard about the bill, I thought it sounded tough, but you got it done. Congratulations.”
Melania described the bill as a “national victory” that would help safeguard children from online abu.se.
“AI and social media are like digital candy—sweet, addictive, and designed to impact kids’ cognitive development,” she said. “But unlike sugar, these tools can be weaponized, shaping minds, affecting emotions, and sometimes leading to tragedy.”
The legislation requires websites and social media platforms to remove offensive content within 48 hours of a victim’s request and to implement measures to permanently prevent reuploads.
However, the decision to have Melania sign the bill has ignited widespread criticism.
One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “Trump encouraged Melania, who has no constitutional authority, to sign legislation at a White House event.”
Another replied, “Exactly! This is so out of line.”
Others questioned the double standard
“Why is Melania Trump signing laws? Imagine the outrage if Dr. Jill Biden had done the same.”
One commenter added, “Can you even imagine the MAGA crowd’s response if this had been Joe Biden and Jill?”
Another questioned the legality: “Does her signature even count?”
A final critic remarked, “They’d be screaming corruption if this were Jill Biden!”
President Trump defended the law as a necessary step, citing the growing threat of AI-generated explicit content. “Countless women have been targeted with deepfakes and other abu.sive images,” he said. “Now, it’s officially illegal.”
