Republicans who voted against Melania Trump-backed porn bill

A bill criminalizing “revenge porn” was passed by The House on Monday, despite being opposed by two Republican representatives—Thomas Massie and Eric Burlison.

The Take It Down Act will outlaw AI-generated sexually explicit imagery being posted online of a person without their consent, and won overwhelming bipartisan support.

Newsweek reached out to the two representatives via contact form on their websites on Tuesday.

Why It Matters

Although the bill had widespread support among lawmakers, the two votes of dissent suggest a broader tension within Republican ranks over how to balance innovation with regulation, with Massie expressing concern about unintended consequences of the legislation.

What To Know

The Take It Down Act makes it a federal crime to share nonconsensual sexual imagery online, including deepfakes, or computer-generated realistic images, which have become a growing risk with the advancement of artificial intelligence.

Massie of Kentucky voted against the bill, explaining on X, formerly Twitter, that he believed the legislation was “a slippery slope, ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences.”

He added in response to a commenter that House Speaker Mike Johnson and the rules committee “allowed no amendments to be offered on this bill.”

Missouri representative Burlison has not given a statement about his reasons for voting against the bill, but he has in the past advocated for investment into the country’s AI infrastructure and praised its transformative possibilities.

First lady Melania Trump, who has generally kept a distance from Washington during her husband’s second term, had been an outspoken proponent of the legislation, lobbying House lawmakers to pass it and appearing at a round table discussion about it in March.

What People Are Saying

Rep. Thomas Massie on X: “Tonight we’re voting on the “TAKE IT DOWN Act,” a bill that would impose federal criminal and civil penalties for publishing unauthorized intimate pictures generated with AI.”

“I’m voting NO because I feel this is a slippery slope, ripe for abuse, with unintended consequences.”

Sen. Ted Cruz, who cosponsored the bill along with Sen. Amy Klobuchar, said in a statement: “The passage of the TAKE IT DOWN Act is a historic win in the fight to protect victims of revenge porn and deepfake abuse.”

“By requiring social media companies to take down this abusive content quickly, we are sparing victims from repeated trauma and holding predators accountable.”

First lady Melania Trump said in a statement: “Today’s bipartisan passage of the Take It Down Act is a powerful statement that we stand united in protecting the dignity, privacy, and safety of our children.”

What Happens Next

The bill, which was already passed by the Senate in February, will now head to President Donald Trump‘s desk to sign.