US President Donald Trump praised first lady Melania Trump’s push to protect victims of digital exploitation, joking that she might end up taking his job after her widely backed bill cleared Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support.Speaking during the annual Congressional Picnic on the South Lawn of the White House, Trump singled out Melania for helping pass the Take It Down Act, a new law that criminalises the sharing of explicit images, including deepfakes, without consent.“When I saw that bill passed bipartisan, I said, ‘You know, I think you’re going to take my job, Melania,’” Trump said to cheers, with the First Lady standing beside him on the Truman Balcony. “We don’t get so much bipartisan,” he added.The new law was signed by the president last month and is the first federal legislation targeting revenge porn and the spread of manipulated sexual images made using artificial intelligence. The bill passed the Senate by unanimous consent and was approved in the House with only two lawmakers opposing it — Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Eric Burlison of Missouri.Melania Trump had played a major role in championing the measure, which aims to protect both children and adults from digital abuse. “We’ve even come together on a bipartisan basis with the help of our great first lady to pass the Take It Down Act, protecting our youth from exploitation,” the president said.Trump also revealed that his wife was surprised at how rare bipartisan cooperation is in Washington. “She said, ‘Why is that?’ I said, ‘There is no reason for it. But you did it,’” he told lawmakers and guests. “Congratulations. It’s a great job.”The law requires websites and social media platforms to remove non-consensual explicit content, including AI-manipulated images, within 48 hours of a request from the victim. Offenders who knowingly post such material can now face prison time.At the bill’s signing ceremony, Trump handed the pen to Melania for her to add her signature. Melania called the law “a national victory that will help parents and families protect children from online exploitation.”Earlier this year, Melania warned of the growing dangers posed by artificial intelligence and social media. “It’s heartbreaking to witness young teens, especially girls, grappling with the overwhelming challenges posed by malicious online content like deep fakes,” she said. “This toxic environment can be severely damaging.”She also cautioned that new digital technologies are being misused. “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,” she said. “They can be weaponised, shape beliefs and, sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly.”The law holds major tech companies accountable for removing abusive content and aims to curb the spread of harmful material. Platforms such as Meta, Snapchat and TikTok have voiced support for the act. However, some digital rights groups have expressed concern that it could lead to censorship or misuse through false takedown requests.The measure gained momentum following several high-profile incidents, including AI-generated sexual images of celebrities like Taylor Swift and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, as well as victims among young women.The Take It Down Act was introduced last year by Senators Ted Cruz and Amy Klobuchar.