Melania Trump faces backlash after she breaks protocol with one act no First Lady has ever done before

Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual harassment which some readers may find distressing.

Melania Trump is facing major criticism after she broke protocol by performing an act that no First Lady has ever done.

On Monday (19 May), US President Donald Trump signed into law the Take It Down Act. This bill is particularly close to the First Lady, as she'd urged Congress to pass it back in March.

As well as her husband, Melania also signed the new bill - which has now made it a federal crime to 'knowingly publish' or threaten to publish sexual images without a person's consent, including AI-generated 'deepfakes' and 'revenge porn'.

The former model called the signing a 'national victory' that will help protect children from online exploitation, adding: "AI 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 weaponised, shape beliefs and, sadly, affect emotions and even be deadly."

It's highly unusual for a first lady to add her signature to a bill, as she isn't an elected official, so her signature won't be legally effective. Still, Trump encouraged her to do so anyway.

"C'mon, sign it anyway," he told his wife, adding: "She deserves to sign it."

Trump also praised Melania for her campaigning on the issue.

"Honey, you've done amazing," he said, adding that when he heard of the legislation: "I said, it sounds like a tough one, and yet a very important one, and you got it done. So I congratulate you."

Melania Trump signed the Take It Down Act on Monday (19 May) (Chip Somodevilla / Staff / Getty Images)

Others, however, weren't so praising as one X user hit out: "Trump urged Melania, who holds no constitutional authority, to sign legislation during a White House ceremony."

In response, someone said: "Exactly my thoughts!"

"Why is Melania Trump signing legislation?" questioned a second. "Imagine the MAGA response if Dr. Jill Biden had done this."

Meanwhile, a third chimed in: "Just imagine if Joe Biden did something like this…"

Another asked whether her 'signature' even holds 'any validity', while a final X user echoed: "Omg!! They would be screaming… corruption if Jill did!"

The First Lady's signature is merely symbolic, since she isn't an elected official (Chip Somodevilla / Staff / Getty Images)

Trump described the rise of AI-created images means that 'countless women have been harassed with deepfakes and other explicit images distributed against their will', adding: "Today, we’re making it totally illegal."

The law also extends to websites and social media platforms, who are now required to remove the offending material within 48 hours of the victim's request.

They must also take additional measures to ensure the material is permanently removed from their sites.

If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact The Survivors Trust for free on 08088 010 818, available 10am-12.30pm, 1.30pm-3pm and 6pm-8pm Monday to Thursday, 10am-12.30pm and 1.30pm-3pm on Fridays, 10am-12.30pm on Saturdays and 6pm-8pm on Sundays.