Melania's Take It Down Act Becomes Law; Trump on AI Deepfakes: 'Today We're Making It Totally Illegal' (May 19, 2025)

First lady Melania Trump’s push to protect children from online sexual abuse became law in the Rose Garden. She called the signing of the Take It Down Act “a national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation” on May 19, 2025, according to the transcript published by the American Presidency Project [1].

“Today, it’s my honor to officially sign the Take It Down Act into law. It’s a big thing. Very important,” President Donald Trump said [1].

The video above shows the signing of the Take It Down Act on May 19, 2025. Quotes are from the American Presidency Project and GovInfo [1][2][3].

”The Digital Candy for the Next Generation”

“Artificial intelligence and social media are the digital candy for the next generation: sweet, addictive, and engineered to have an impact on the cognitive development of our children,” the first lady said [1].

“But unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized, shape beliefs, and sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly,” she said [1].

“As First Lady, my Be Best initiative is focused on improving children’s well-being, encouraging kindness, and creating a safer online environment for our youth. Today I am proud to say that the values of Be Best will be reflected in the law of the land,” she said [1].

“Now, we look to the Federal Trade Commission and the private sector to do their part,” the first lady said [1].

”Today We’re Making It Totally Illegal”

Trump said it was the first federal law of its kind. “And very importantly, this includes for forgeries generated by artificial intelligence, known as ‘deepfakes,’” he said [1].

“With the rise of AI image generation, countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will,” he said. “And today we’re making it totally illegal.” [1]

“We’ve all heard about deepfakes. I have them all the time,” Trump said, joking that Attorney General Pam Bondi was too busy to help him [1].

“Upon hearing the stories of so many women affected, our First Lady made stopping these abuses a top priority,” Trump said [1].

“We will not tolerate online sexual exploitation,” he said [1].

”Elliston, We Salute You”

Trump recognized Elliston Berry, a Texas teenager who had been the first lady’s guest at his address to Congress. “Among Melania’s guests in the gallery during my address to the joint session of Congress was a 15-year-old young person, Elliston Berry, whose image was turned into an illicit deepfake by a peer,” he said [1].

“Elliston quickly became a powerful advocate committed to preventing other girls from suffering the same abuse. Elliston, we salute you, and we thank you very much,” Trump said [1].

“Elliston Berry stood boldly for change despite the risk posed to her and her family by speaking out and making her voice heard,” the first lady said [1].

Trump also recognized South Carolina state Rep. Brandon Guffey and his family, “who lost their son to suicide after he was targeted in an internet extortion scam.” [1]

“People Over Politics”

The bill passed with support from both parties. The first lady thanked “Speaker Johnson, Senator Cruz, Senator Klobuchar, Congresswoman Salazar, Congresswoman Dean, and Congressman Guthrie and so many more. Thank you all for coming together to prioritize people over politics.” [1]

“I want to thank Melania for your leadership in this very important issue. It’s an amazing issue. America is blessed to have such a dedicated and compassionate First Lady,” Trump said [1].

He also credited her with “securing $25 million in the first fiscal year 2026 budget to provide housing and support for youth transitioning out of the foster care.” [1]

Trump said he had just spoken with Vladimir Putin for more than two hours. “Putin just said, ‘They respect your wife a lot.’ I said, ‘What about me?’” Trump said, as the crowd laughed [1].

What the Law Says

The law, S. 146, makes it a crime to knowingly publish intimate images of a person without consent, including AI fakes. Violations involving adults carry up to two years in prison, and those involving minors up to three years [2].

Websites and apps must act fast. When a victim asks, a covered platform must remove the image “as soon as possible, but not later than 48 hours after receiving such request,” and “make reasonable efforts to identify and remove any known identical copies of such depiction.” [2]

The Federal Trade Commission enforces the removal rules [2].

By the Numbers

48 hours: the deadline for platforms to remove an image after a valid request [2].
1 year: the time platforms had to set up a removal process [2].
2 and 3 years: maximum prison terms for offenses involving adults and minors [2].
$25 million: in the 2026 budget for youth leaving foster care, per Trump [1].

What Happened Next

The deadline for platforms arrived. The law said that “not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, a covered platform shall establish a process” for victims to request removal, which set the deadline at May 19, 2026 [2].

The White House said the president ended his remarks by saying, “working with our First Lady, we’ve shown that bipartisanship is still possible.” [3]

For Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress that March, see HYGO News’ page on March 4, 2025. For Trump at the White House Easter Egg Roll the first lady organized, see the page on April 21, 2025.