“Melania Trump faced backlash Monday after she announced the completion of the new White House tennis pavilion amid a deadly pandemic that is killing more than 2,000 people a day across the country. “Thank you to all of the talented craftsmen who made this project possible and to the generous supporters of the White House,” the first lady said in a White House press release. “It is my hope that this private space will function as both a place of leisure and gathering for future First Families.” Critics called the first lady insensitive when she shared images of the project’s progress in March, as COVID-19 was just beginning to take hold in the U.S. “I encourage everyone who chooses to be negative & question my work at the @WhiteHouse to take time and contribute something good & productive in their own communities,” she tweeted at the time. Vandag, @FLOTUS announced the completion of the Tennis Pavilion on the White House grounds! https://t.co/CQeyDLPTHN— The White House (@WhiteHouse) December 7, 2020 The project was funded by unspecified private donations, and the White House did not state its cost. Planning for the pavilion began in 2018, and the Commission of Fine Arts and the National Capital Planning Commission approved the project last year, according to the news release. The East and West Wings of the White House inspired its design. As the U.S. coronavirus pandemic death toll nears 284,000 and more Americans are getting infected, being hospitalized and dying from the virus, news of the White House’s new tennis facilities did not receive a warm reception on Twitter. With 280,000 Americans dead from COVID-19, I really don’t care about Melania’s tennis courts, do you?— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) December 7, 2020 Oh Good, those people in their ICU beds will feel so much better knowing that melania has finished her tennis pavilion. https://t.co/8xuIf4WW8i— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) December 7, 2020 And in Hell, Marie Antoinette breathes a sigh of relief. She’s off the hook now. (Note: During France’s Reign of Terror 40,000 people died. At our current death rate from COVID, more Americans than that die every two weeks. But…tennis anyone?) https://t.co/AgSmKhFO2H— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) December 7, 2020 Something else Queen Melania could have devoted her attention to today other than her tennis pavilion. (Note: I have played tennis my entire life and don’t think I have ever actually been in a tennis pavilion.) https://t.co/VfOBgdahJT— David Rothkopf (@djrothkopf) December 7, 2020 282,345. pic.twitter.com/ss9RKAVcA3— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) December 7, 2020 Yeah, but how many ICU beds will it hold? #LetThemEatCake https://t.co/3HyAbXsvVV— Laurie Brookins (@StyleWriterNYC) December 7, 2020 We are a week away from passing 300,000 Americans killed by COVID and Melania Antoinette over here updated the tennis court as her act of civic service this year. https://t.co/M5j7ozktAl— Tom Matzzie 🎄 (@tommatzzie) December 7, 2020 Good news—WH just announced today that they just completed the WH Tennis 🎾 Pavilion. WH is so excited that they put out a press release. How many PPEs, tests, masks, contact tracers, and ICU beds could that have bought instead? #COVID19 https://t.co/zGVpn7mkAG pic.twitter.com/uRLGpvvxcU— Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) December 7, 2020 MELANIA’S TENNIS COURTS ARE COMPLETE 2020 IS SAVED!!!!!!— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) December 7, 2020 It was all worth it. https://t.co/Y01d4Kso71— Jon Cryer (@MrJonCryer) December 7, 2020 The first lady is spending her final weeks in the White House before President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill arrive in January.
