First Lady Pool Reports of March 3, 2025

FLOTUS pool report #1 - Online privacy roundtable includes guest in FLOTUS box for POTUS speech

First Lady Melania Trump entered the Mansfield Room on the Senate side of the Capitol at 2:05 pm.

She is wearing a three-piece tan pantsuit with a crisp white shirt and dark tie.

The First Lady is joining a round table discussion on online protections and the Take It Down Act: https://www.commerce.senate.gov/2024/6/sen-cruz-leads-colleagues-in-unveilinglandmark-bill-to-protect-victims-of-deepfake-revenge-porn

Some victims are here to speak, including Elliston Berry, 15. She and her mother and stepfather Mark and Anna McAdams will be seated in the First Lady's box at POTUS' speech on Tuesday night, per the East Wing.

Also here are Francesca Mani, 16; Breeze Liu; state Rep. Brandon Guffey of South Carolina, whose son died by suicide after receding NCII (deep fake) threats; and RAINN VP of Public Policy Stefan Turkheirmer.

The event is being aired by C-SPAN: https://www.c-span.org/event/public-affairs-event/firstlady-on-deepfake-revenge-porn/431358

FLOTUS tweeted this event is part of her Be Best campaign: https://x.com/flotus/status/1896628735136379010?s=46&t=uqG6xaNIokw8kZeJwMCmZQ

FLOTUS tweet: "BE BEST: On my way to The Hill to advocate for the Take It Down Act bill. I urge Congress to pass this important legislation to safeguard our youth."

The Take It Down Act passed the Senate on February 13, but it still needs to pass the House.

Lawmakers present include at the event include:

Speaker Mike Johnson

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA-1)

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sponsor, Take It Down Act

U.S. Representative Maria Salazar (R-FL-27), Sponsor, Take It Down Act

U.S. Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA-17), who has endorsed the Take It Down Act

U.S. Representative Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2), Chairman, House Committee on Energy and Commerce

U.S. Representative Lisa McClain (R-MI-9), Chairwoman, House Republican Conference

U.S. Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK-1), Chairman, Republican Policy Committee

More to come...

FLOTUS pool report #2 - FLOTUS remarks/she calls out Democrats

First Lady Melania Trump made her first public remarks of her second tenure as first lady at this roundtable.

Senator Ted Cruz, the sponsor of the Take It Down Act, spoke first. Cruz: "I want to start by thanking the First Lady for joining us today, and thank you for your support of this incredibly important legislation."

More Cruz: "If you're a victim of revenge porn or AI generated explicit imagery, your life changes."

More: "Most likely, you've been targeted by someone you know, and you're likely struggling to have that material removed from the internet. Disturbingly, many of these victims are teenagers at American high schools who are facing a surge in AI generated sexual images. Hundreds of teens, often targeted by their own classmates, are enduring senseless psychological harm knowing that these fake images exist and they're still out there, and in many cases, there is no recourse for these teenage victims. But this issue extends beyond high school. There are 1000s of cases where predators have used non consensual,
intimate images to extort victims, both sexually and financially, and the results can be even more traumatic than financial loss."

He introduced Melania Trump: "We're very excited to be joined today by the First Lady of the United States, Melania Trump. Mrs. Trump has long been a champion for protecting our nation's children with her Be Best initiative, and I can think of no more important issue for our First Lady to lead on than protecting children online."

FLOTUS thanked him and asked of the microphone: "It is on?"

"It's not very loud," Cruz told her.

FLOTUS called out Democrats in her remarks: "I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Klobuchar unified to prioritize this fundamental matter. I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely as adults, we can prioritize America's children ahead of partisan politics."

Rep. Ro Khanna is the only Democratic lawmaker in the room.

FLOTUS remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good afternoon.
I am here with you today with a common goal – to protect our youth from online harm. The widespread presence of abusive behavior in the digital domain affects the daily lives of our children, families, and communities.

Addressing this issue is essential for fostering a safe and supportive environment for our young people. I hope today's roundtable builds awareness of the harm caused by nonconsensual intimate imagery and eventually the approval of the Take it Down Act in Congress.

In today's AI-driven world, the threat of privacy breaches is alarmingly high. As organizations harness the power of our data, the risk of unauthorized access and misuse of personal information escalates. We must prioritize robust security measures and uphold strict ethical standards to protect individual privacy.

As First Lady, my commitment to the "Be Best" initiative underscores the importance of online safety. In an era where digital interactions are integral to daily life, it is imperative that we safeguard children from mean-spirited and hurtful online behavior.

Ensuring their protection is not just a responsibility but a vital step in nurturing tomorrow's leaders.

Here with us today is Elliston Berry, a 15-year-old brave young woman. Elliston's peers used AI to create non-consensual intimate images of her and then spread the images across social media. They superimposed her face onto pornographic content without her consent, solely to humiliate her. And although Elliston's family contacted the social media companies for help, their efforts fell upon deaf ears. Ultimately, the fake images circulated worldwide.

It's heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content, like deepfakes. 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. Every young person deserves a safe online space to express themself freely, without the looming threat of exploitation or harm.

To the brave survivors of NCII, your strength inspires the courage in others. To the advocates, your voices empower our youth and hopefully brings change. And to the families, your unwavering love is a pillar of resilience. Thank you again to Senator Cruz, House Majority Leader Scalise, Representative Salazar, Chairman Guthrie, Chairwoman McClain, Chairman Hern, and Representative Khanna for being here today and for your dedication to this important cause.

I was heartened to learn that Senator Cruz and Senator Klobuchar unified to prioritize this fundamental matter. I must admit, however, I expected to see more Democrat leaders with us here today to address this serious issue. Surely as adults, we can prioritize America's children ahead of partisan politics.

I urge Congress to prioritize the passage of the Take It Down Act. This legislation is essential for addressing the growing concerns related to online safety, protecting individual rights, and promoting a healthier digital environment.

By advancing this bill, Congress can take an important step towards ensuring accountability and fostering responsible online behavior.

The Take It Down Act represents a powerful step toward justice, healing, and unity.

Thank you.

MORE TK…

FLOTUS pool report #3 - more event details

During the 59 minute discussion, Senator Cruz said he was "confident that when this bill is signed into law each of the victim advocates, that you'll receive a pen used by the president to sign into law and by the way, they're about this big (holding out his hands about a foot apart). They're big pens."

Cruz told FLOTUS: "Your husband does nothing small."

The first lady laughed in response.

Here are the remarks from Elliston Berry, 15. She and her mother and stepfather Mark and Anna McAdams will be seated in the First Lady's box at POTUS' speech on Tuesday night, per the Berry Family.

Note: Elliston is seated next to Melania Trump; Senator Ted Cruz is on the other side of the first lady.

Elliston said she was just 14 when a classmate used AI to edit a photo from social media: "I was 14 years old when I was violated all over social media."

More Elliston: "I wrote back to messages from a friend notifying me that these photos of me were circulating … from a past Instagram photo with a nude body and my face attached, made from AI."

More: "Shock and disgust were just some of the many emotions. I felt responsible and began to blame myself and was ashamed to tell my parents. … School was a little to no help and said that it was out of their control. … I came here today to not only promote this bill but to fight for the many survivors. It is so inspiring to know that my voice is being heard, giving hope to not only me, to all the many people that have been affected by this. It is truly so amazing how this awful situation has turned to good. Thank you."

Melania Trump joined the room in giving Elliston a round of applause after her remarks.

Cruz noted Elliston is from Texas and that his how he became aware of the issue – when her mom called his office.

Cruz: "Elliston's mom said she had called Snapchat, she emailed them, she tried repeatedly take this garbage down of my daughter, and she'd got no response at all, no movement. I turned to my staff in my office that afternoon, and I said, I want you to get the CEO of Snapchat on the phone today. I want those pictures down today, within two hours they pulled them now, it should not take a sitting senator or sitting member of Congress picking up the phone to get a picture down or a video down. It should be the right of every American, every teenage girl victimized, should have the right to get this garbage taken down, and this bill will give them that right as a matter of federal law."

FLOTUS listed during the remarks, often nodding along as people spoke. She applauded all the speakers after they shared their story. Again the other speakers are: Francesca Mani, 16; Breeze Liu; state Rep. Brandon Guffey of South Carolina, whose son died by suicide after receding NCII (deep fake) threats; and RAINN VP of Public Policy Stefan Turkheirmer.

Speaker Johnson briefly spoke: "As the dark side of technology advances, these unspeakable evils become part of the culture the law has to keep up. And I'm really grateful that we have thoughtful legislators here who take the take the reins on this and are willing to do pass legislation to address it. We were anxious to put it on the floor in the house, to get the President Trump's desk for signature, because we've got to do what we can to stop this."

Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said: "First Lady Trump, I really appreciate your bringing your humanity and looking at this as a parent and as a leader and not through politics. And your presence here, obviously, is going to make a big difference, and I appreciate your being here and doing so for the country in a bipartisan way."

After the remarks, Melania Trump stayed for about 10 minutes.

She shook hands with Speaker Johnson and Leader Scalise and a few of the other lawmakers. She also spoke with victims Elliston Berry, 15, and Francesca Mani, 16, who both testified. Senator Cruz took a photo of the three women posing together. FLOTUS also spoke with the girls' parents telling them: "Keep up the good work. Stay strong."

And FLOTUS posed for a group photo.

She left the event about 3:08 pm. Press was too far back to shout questions.