In what looks to be an extension of her first-term efforts to help defend children and teens from online bullying, first lady Melania Trump is now working to protect those who've been victimized by the online publication of non-consensual, artificial intelligence-generated "deepfake" pornography.

In doing so, Melania has found herself aligned toward a common goal with Democrats at the state and federal level who would otherwise never associate themselves with anyone from President Donald Trump's White House, Politico reported.

The unlikely allies are pushing legislation that would both outlaw the publication of such pornographic material and require tech companies to remove such material when flagged by users.

Unusual allies on a shared concern

A pair of California Democrats already focused on the issue of non-consensual deepfake porn, State Sen. Aisha Wahab and Assemblymember Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, told Politico how pleased they were to have the Republican first lady on their side for the effort.

Wahab, who authored a bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law last year, said of Trump's support on the issue, "This is where we as society and a country can come together and say 'We won’t stand for this.'"

"I often say tech policy is best done when consistent across the country, but that’s been hard the last few years," Bauer-Kahan acknowledged, but expressed optimism that the high-level attention to the matter might help in "getting these companies to take ownership over this issue."

Nick Clemens, a spokesman for the first lady, told Politico, "Protecting children from malicious attacks online is something First Lady Melania Trump cares very deeply about, and there is bipartisan support for legislation like the Take It Down Act."

Legislation passed by Senate, awaits action in the House

The TAKE IT DOWN Act, an acronym that stands for the "Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks Act," was first introduced in the Senate in January by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and enjoyed bipartisan sponsorship from Democrats like Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dick Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), among others.

It was passed by the Senate with unanimous consent in mid-February and now awaits action from the House, where a similarly bipartisan companion bill was introduced by Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Madeleine (D-PA) but has yet to be passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

On Monday, the first lady joined lawmakers from both chambers and both sides of the aisle for a roundtable discussion on the issue of "Non-Consensual Intimate Imagery" that also included input from victims and advocates for the legislation, according to the White House.

In her remarks that praised the Senate for already passing the bill and encouraged the House to follow suit, Trump said, "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," she added.

Trump said he will sign the bill

During President Trump's Joint Address to Congress, he noted that one of the first lady's guests, Elliston Berry, was a victim of deepfake porn, and he thanked both her and the Senate for passing the TAKE IT DOWN Act to "criminalize the publication of such images online. This terrible, terrible thing. And once it passes the House, I look forward to signing that bill into law."

"And I’m going to use that bill for myself too, if you don’t mind," he added to much laughter from the audience, "because nobody gets treated worse than I do online. Nobody."