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Melania Trump defends work on White House tennis pavilion as coronavirus spreads

(CNN) First lady Melania Trump is defending her work on the new White House tennis pavilion after a tweet she posted was roundly criticized as tone deaf amid the coronavirus outbreak.

"I encourage everyone who chooses to be negative (and) question my work at the ⁦‪@WhiteHouse⁩ to take time and contribute something good (and) productive in their own communities," Trump tweeted Saturday.

Melania Trump has been silent on coronavirus, which has spread to 28 states, though one of the three pillars of her "Be Best" initiative is "health and well-being of children."

As of Saturday morning, there are at least 335 reported cases and 17 deaths in the US, according to CNN's latest count.

The first lady's office did not return CNN's requests for comment.

On Thursday, Melania Trump posted about the construction status on the tennis pavilion, with pictures of her wearing a hard hat and looking over what appear to be architectural plans.

The private pavilion will be located on the South Lawn of the White House and serve as a "place to gather and spend leisure time for First Families."

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