If your last name is Trump, then you just can not do anything right – at least not as far as the left is concerned. Other than the president himself, the first lady seems to attract the most negative attention from the press and Dems. From being an immigrant to the clothes she wears, Melania Trump endures some of the roughest criticism. The most recent attacks come after the completion of a new tennis court pavilion for the White House, where she was lambasted for daring such a project while the nation was dying and losing jobs during the COVID pandemic.
“Here’s the New White House Tennis Court No One Has Been Waiting For” was the title in New York Magazine. Written by Christopher Bonanos, the piece even managed to bring racism into play, saying:
“Although golf — the game of choice of most presidents, especially Donald Trump — is obviously the great signifier of wealthy indolence, tennis is not far behind. Until comparatively recently, and sometimes still today, it has been among the whitest of sports, a game of country clubs with restrictive admissions policies.”
The article called the pavilion a “pretty, restrained, nicely proportioned little building” but then went on to say it “certainly conforms to the administration’s wish to erase any hint of the past seven decades from government architecture.” Then, to explain that meaning, a hyperlink leads the reader to another story, titled “Trump’s Classical-Architecture Edict Is Dumb — But Not Worth the Outrage.”
Now is a good time to bring in some facts and background information. First, the White House has had a tennis court on its premises since 1902, under President Theodore Roosevelt. In 1909, it was moved from behind the West Wing to the west side of the South Lawn. Lots of matches have been held on the court over the past century, so it’s not like this is a “Trump” thing to bring more racial division. Second, Barack Obama loved basketball (and, of course, golf) and had lines painted on the court to make it better suited for basketball games. He put in removable nets and the tennis court became a dual area to play either sport.
Melania did not destroy the court, she added to it by way of a pavilion – the plans for which had begun in 2018. It was funded by private donations, not taxpayer money. The Sun, however, chose this as its headline: “Parting Shot: Melania Trump unveils new White House tennis pavilion after Obama turned area into basketball court.” To reiterate, the court is dual in purpose and serves as either a tennis court or a full court for basketball. The court itself just got a nice pavilion to go with it.
Construction began in October last year and was just recently completed. But, when the first lady made her proud announcement, people went a bit crazed. Tweeters converged in righteous outrage, saying things like “Put hospital beds and respirators in there. Then it’ll be useful.” Another wrote, “I’m sure all the citizens waiting in food lines and wondering if they will have a roof over their heads are thrilled to hear about the new White House tennis courts.”
The world doesn’t (or shouldn’t) stop, folks, because of a crisis. Did everyone who belittled and disapproved of FLOTUS’s project remain solitary, confined, and not take on a single project in their own homes? Did they not add to their gardens, update their kitchens, sew a new wardrobe, or whatever? How much time and money did the average complainer donate to saving lives during the pandemic? Life is life, and it must go on. While it may not be the most important achievement the first lady has accomplished, it is certainly nothing to get so horrified over. The pavilion was approved before any word of coronavirus, and the project was funded privately. So, what is the problem?
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Read more from Kelli Ballard.
