Melania Trump responds to ‘everyone who chooses to be negative’ about White House tennis court

Elise Solé
Updated ·4 min read

Melania Trump is advising critics who slammed plans to build a White House tennis court amid the coronavirus to “contribute something good.”

“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,” the first lady tweeted on Saturday, adding her hashtag #BeBest.

On Thursday, the 49-year-old was blasted for tweeting photos of herself wearing a hard hat and reviewing construction plans for the South Lawn addition. “I am excited to share the progress of the Tennis Pavilion at @TheWhiteHouse,” she wrote. “Thank you to the talented team for their hard work and dedication.” Melania first announced plans for the tennis court in October, tweeting that the “legacy piece” would be a gathering place for future first families “to enjoy for years to come.”

The renovations were interpreted as too removed, considering there are more than 100,000 confirmed global cases of the coronavirus with 340 in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University. California and Washington have declared states of emergency, tech conferences and pop culture festivals such as SXSW have been canceled and some Disney parks in Asia were temporarily closed. Last week, President Donald Trump appointed Vice-President Mike Pence to oversee the Coronavirus Task Force.

“A pandemic. A nation in crisis. But yes, let’s spend our time worrying about an unnecessary, over the top, taxpayer funded tennis court at the WH,” someone tweeted on Friday.

On Thursday, actress Mia Farrow tweeted to Melania, “29 people were killed by a tornado in Tennessee, the world is shuddering as a pandemic expands and what is a tennis pavilion?”

Connie Schultz, the wife of Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown added, “Millions of Americans seek assurance that this administration is doing all that it can to stem spread of the coronavirus, but the First Lady wants us to know she’s ‘excited’ about her new tennis court. People are scared, @FLOTUS. Flaunting a lack of empathy inflicts further harm.”

On Saturday, Farrow responded to Melania’s new tweet by writing, “Sorry if we were ‘negative & questioned’ your ‘good & productive work’ making a tennis pavilion (whatever that is) for the WH with our money. We are dealing with a negative thing or two,” adding, “Love the hard-hat.”

And General Hospital actress Nancy Lee Grahn tweeted, “Do you have anyone reviewing your posts? Fire them & delete your acct. Every time you ‘share’ it unleashes a country full of easy comebacks to your cluelessness & a passionate intolerance of you in general. Stay home & polish your gold toilet seats. Just don’t speak. Shhhh.”

A few named the first lady “tone deaf” and “Marie Antoinette,” for the late Queen of France, often attributed with the phrase, “Let them eat cake” about the class divide in her kingdom.

But many supporters were eager to defend Melania — one tweeted, “Ignore the haters. Jackie O' changed the drapes and they practically nominated her for sainthood for doing so. Hypocrites. You're doing a great job.”

Someone else wrote, “You, as always, are taking the ‘high road.’ I've honestly found that those who criticize this (and everything you and @POTUS do) never desire to lift a finger to help....” and “That is great advice, they would feel much better about themselves as well. Always being negative is an awful place to be in.”

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