Melania Trump

Remarks at the White House Ceremonial Signing of the "TAKE IT DOWN" Bill into Law

delivered 19 May 2025, Rose Garden, White House, Washington, D.C.

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below transcribed directly from audio]

Good afternoon and welcome to the White House.

It’s [an] honor to join you here today for the signing of the “TAKE IT DOWN” Act -- a national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation.

This legislation is a powerful step forward in our efforts to ensure that every American -- especially young people -- can feel better protected from their image or identity being abused through non-consensual intimate imagery of [or] I -- NCII.

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. But unlike sugar, these new technologies can be weaponized, shape beliefs, and sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly.¹

Over the past few months, I have met with brave survivors, deeply-loving families, and caring advocates who now -- who know firsthand the emotional and psychological toll of NCII and deepfake abuse.

Elliston Berry stood boldly for change -- despite the risks posed to her and her family by speaking out and making her voice heard. Elliston, your voice -- and the voices of so many like you -- made this bill a national priority.

Many thanks to Members of Congress [from] both parties for passing this legislation, including 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.²

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'm proud to say that the values of BE BEST will be reflected in the law of the land.

I want to thank my husband, President Trump, for standing with us on [in] this effort. His signature on this new law is now -- is not where our work ends of the -- on this issue. Now, we look to the Federal Trade Commission and the private sector to do their part.

Today, through the “TAKE IT DOWN” Act, we affirm that the well-being of our children is central to the future of our families and America.

Now, it is my pleasure to introduce the President.

Thank you.

¹ A refreshingly detailed analogy in the assessment of favorable and unfavorable points of comparison

² Artful alliteration ("prioritize people over politics")

Original Text and Image of Signing Source: WhiteHouse.gov

Original Image of "Be Best" Logo Source: Wikipedia.org

Video Note: Cropped and Audio Enhanced

Page Created:  6/10/25

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