President Donald Trump shared an amusing detail from his Monday phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin regarding first lady Melania Trump.
The two had spoken on the very serious subject of bringing the war in Ukraine to an end.
At a Rose Garden bill signing ceremony for the bipartisan Take It Down Act regarding the nonconsensual sharing of explicit material online, Trump first recounted, “We just spent two and a half hours talking to Vladimir Putin, and I think some progress has been made.”
“We also spoke to the heads of most of the European nations, and we’re trying to get that whole thing wrapped up,” he added.
Turning to the task at hand, Trump said, “I want to thank Melania for your leadership in this very important issue,” adding, “America is blessed to have such a dedicated and compassionate first lady.”
Trump then quipped, “Putin just said, ‘They respect your wife a lot.’ I said, ‘What about me?’ They like Melania better,” came the response..
The crowd laughed and applauded.
Pres. Trump: “We just spent two and a half hours talking to Vladimir Putin and I think some progress has been made. … We also spoke to the heads of most of the European nations… Putin just said they respect your wife a lot. I said, ‘What about me?’ They like Melania better.” pic.twitter.com/acUH0zpGcG
— CSPAN (@cspan) May 19, 2025
“I’m OK with it,” the president said.
Under the provisions of the Take It Down Act, those who distribute explicit material online without the subject’s consent will face up to three years in prison. And there are also civil liabilities for online platforms that refuse to take the images down, Trump explained.
President @realDonaldTrump never forgets to pull out the chair for @FLOTUS ❤️ pic.twitter.com/WuayNGjSc5
— Margo Martin (@MargoMartin47) May 19, 2025
After signing the legislation, Trump asked if the first lady would like to sign it, too.
He said, “She deserves to sign it.”
Melania obliged. While her signature will have no legal effect, it will be recorded in history that she signed the bill.
JUST IN: @realDonaldTrump signs the ‘Take It Down’ Act into law to criminalize revenge porn—even letting first lady @MELANIATRUMP sign the bill she championed. pic.twitter.com/YU0ubjEEGO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 19, 2025
The Take It Down Act is at least the second major win for the president regarding protecting women and girls.
And thank you to bill sponsors @tedcruz, @amyklobuchar, & @MaElviraSalazar!
Only a monster would oppose the spreading of AI-generated deepfakes and revenge porn.
— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) May 19, 2025
In February, he signed an executive order barring men from women’s sports and private spaces.
IT’S OFFICIAL!
President Trump signs Executive Order banning men from women’s sports
Another huge win for America ???????? pic.twitter.com/C3w50TkdnD
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 5, 2025
His executive order titled, “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports,” says in part, “[I]t is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.”
Trump did not win the female demographic in November, but did gain three percentage points overall from 2020, by taking 45 percent to Kamala Harris’s 53 percent.
Further, support among the youngest female demographic of 18-to-29-year-old voters shifted from 33 percent in 2020 to 40 percent in the last election, according to a Tufts survey.
So that shift among women — along with increased minority support — was decisive in November.
And Monday’s bill signing was the latest example proving that women’s trust in Trump to better their lives was well-placed.
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