Melania Trump's spokeswoman on Monday ripped the press for its constant criticism of the first lady, and said reporters are ignoring the work she's doing with children.

"These days, the consistent negative coverage that Mrs. Trump gets ... it's not fair," spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said on Fox News. "And I know I'm going to be attacked for saying it's not fair, that I'm whining, but we're defending ourselves."

Grisham appeared after a CNN contributor, Kate Anderson Brower, wrote that Mrs. Trump "doesn't understand what it means to be first lady." That prompted Grisham to write a response on CNN.com that said Brower launched another "unnecessary attack" against the first lady.

Brower criticized Trump for telling Fox News that the hardest part about being first lady is dealing with the "opportunists who are using my name."

Grisham said the press is ignoring the work Trump is doing to help children, and to promote her #BeBest initiative.

"Another thing that really bothered me was, just hours before that op-ed posted, she was at a hospital here in D.C. visiting children and reading them a Christmas story," Grisham said.

Grisham said Melania Trump has organized state dinners and organizes a staff of nearly 300 people in the White House. She also held a recent event on opioid abuse, but Grisham said the press mostly focused on other issues.

"She gave an off-the-cuff answer about some Christmas decor, and for two days, that's what we talked about ... Christmas decor," Grisham said. "I think the media is really missing an opportunity to cover the great work she's doing."