‘People in their ICU beds will feel so much better’: Melania Trump scorned for White House tennis pavilion announcement

Inevitable comparisons drawn to Marie Antoinette and much-attributed but disputed, “Let them eat cake” quote

First lady Melania Trump announced the completion of a new tennis pavilion at the White House on 7 December, 2020 (White House)

Only weeks before handing the keys to the White House over to President-elect Joe Biden, Melania Trump announced on Monday that a new tennis pavilion on the south grounds is complete.

Predictably, the news was met by a harsh backlash on social media questioning the timing, appropriateness, and extravagance of the project as cases of Covid-19 surge across the US.

Others wondered why the White House would even make a statement about the project in the middle of a national crisis.

“I am pleased to announce the completion of the Tennis Pavilion on the White House grounds,” the first lady said in a press release. “Thank you to all of the talented craftsmen who made this project possible and to the generous supporters of the White House.”

Ms Trump added: “It is my hope that this private space will function as both a place of leisure and gathering for future first families.”

With more than 14.8 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the US and over 283,000 deaths, much of the criticism focussed on the appropriateness of celebrating the completion of the project as more than 2,000 Americans die from the coronavirus every day.

On Twitter, Molly Jong-Fast, an editor with The Daily Beast, commented: “Oh Good, those people in their ICU Beds will feel so much better knowing that Melania has finished her tennis pavilion.”

David Corn, Mother Jones’ Washington bureau chief, simply tweeted out the death toll from the virus as it stood on Monday morning: “282,345”.

According to the press release, the project was paid for with private donations. Nevertheless, it was also attacked as a symbol of profligacy when so many Americans are struggling and hospitals are clamouring for supplies.

Epidemiologist and economist Eric Feigl-Ding wrote: “How many PPEs, tests, masks, contact tracers, and ICU beds could that have bought instead? #COVID19."

There were also inevitable comparisons to Marie Antoinette and the much-attributed but disputed, “Let them eat cake” quote.

Laurie Brookins, an editor at Screen Chic, wrote: “Yeah, but how many ICU beds will it hold? #LetThemEatCake.”

Entrepreneur Tom Mattzie tweeted: “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.”

Critics of the first lady had already attacked her regarding the project when she tweeted out a photo of herself wearing a hard hat and reviewing blueprints for the pavilion as the pandemic began to spread in early March.

Ms Trump pushed back in a follow-up tweet encouraging “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 received similar criticism for overseeing a redesign of the Rose Garden in the summer.

According to the Associated Press, the project has been in the works since early 2018, and included sprucing up the existing tennis court and children’s garden, in addition to the construction of the pavilion, which replaces a smaller structure.

The first lady’s office said the pavilion’s design was inspired by the architecture of the White House, especially the East and West Wings. No costs were disclosed.