Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s wife Louise Linton is facing backlash for an Instagram post touting the couple’s wealth, which was later deleted.
(CNN) — Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s wife Louise Linton is facing backlash for an Instagram post touting the couple’s wealth, which was later deleted.
The post began with a glamorous photo of Linton stepping off an official government plane on a trip to Kentucky with her husband, who was there to discuss tax reform with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and visit Fort Knox.
Dressed in all white and carrying a handbag and silk scarf, the Scottish-born actress and producer tagged a series of luxury designers, including Hermes, Roland Mouret, Tom Ford and Valentino.
Instagram user Jenni Miller, a mother of three from Oregon, took issue with the post, commenting, „Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable“
„@jennimiller29 cute! Aw!!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable! Do you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?! Lololol, “ she wrote in a response peppered with kiss emojis.
Her reply escalated further as she touted her family’s wealth and personal „sacrifice.“
„Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband? Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country? I’m pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day ‚trip‘ than you did. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you’d be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours, “ she wrote, calling Miller „adorably out of touch.“
Linton said Miller’s „life looks cute“ and told her to „have a pleasant evening“ and „chill out.“
The post was deleted late Monday evening and Linton’s account was set to private, but not before multiple screengrabs were taken.
Linton did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
„She went to a state where one in five people lives in poverty and many children don’t know where their next meal is coming from. Instead of helping in some way, she chose to brag about her outlandishly expensive clothes. It’s more than tone-deaf, it’s deplorable, “ Miller said.
The Treasury Department has not yet responded to CNN’s request for comment.
It’s not the first time Linton has come under fire on social media. After self-publishing a book in 2016 on a year abroad in Zambia, Linton was sharply criticized for the book’s inaccuracies and misleading description of the political climate, as well as its seeming „white savior“ narrative. She described herself as a „skinny white muzungu with long angel hair.“
Linton pulled the book from Amazon a few months later and issued an apology on a now-private Twitter account.
Linton married Mnuchin in a lavish ceremony in June, attended by the President and First Lady Melania Trump and officiated by Vice President Mike Pence. Her film credits include parts in „Lions for Lambs, “ „Intruder“ and „Rules Don’t Apply.“ A graduate of Pepperdine University, Linton also has a law degree from University of West Los Angeles.
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