Louise Linton, Treasury secretary’s wife ignites controversy
Louise Linton, the wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin ignited a social media firestorm following her response to critics of her Instagram post
Louise Linton, the actress wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, ignited a firestorm of criticism after she responded to a negative comment on social media.
She recently told Elle magazine that she is “super-duper” apologetic for the drama that she has caused since her husband joined President Trump’s Cabinet.
Linton, 37, said she felt like “a regular person” when she saw someone’s negative comment on Instagram in August 2017 and chose to respond like “regular people” would. But her “knee-jerk reaction,” as she described it, earned her unlimited criticism and launched her husband into a sea of controversy.
Read on for a brief look at Linton's life, including since Mnuchin became treasury secretary.
She got into an Instagram spat
Linton posted a photo to her Instagram account – which was briefly made private to those who do not follow her – of her and Mnuchin disembarking a government plane. In the August 2017 photo, she tagged some of the high-profile designers of the ensemble she was wearing.
One user commented, “Glad we could pay for your little getaway,” and included the hashtag “deplorable.”
Linton responded with a lengthy comment and touted her and her husband’s financial success.
“Do you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?! Lololol. 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,” Linton said.
“I’m pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day ‘trip’ than you did,” she continued. “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's an actress
Born in Scotland, Linton trained at the Edinburgh Drama Academy as well as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, according to her IMDB page.
She has guest starred in episodes of “Cold Case” and “CSI: NY.” Linton has also starred in the movies “Cabin Fever” and “Intruder.”
Mnuchin and Linton recently married
Mnuchin and Linton married in June 2017 – with a star-studded guest list.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump attended the wedding. Vice President Mike Pence officiated the ceremony.
Prior to joining the Trump administration, Mnuchin, 55, ran a company that invested in Hollywood movies including "Wonder Woman," "The Lego Movie," "The Accountant" and "Suicide Squad." He is a Goldman Sachs alumnus.
Both Mnuchin and Linton were married previously. Mnuchin has children from his earlier marriage.
Her controversial memoir is no longer on Amazon
Linton wrote and self-published a memoir about her experiences volunteering in Africa as an 18-year-old – but her writings ignited controversy.
In her book, called “In Congo’s Shadow: One Girl’s Perilous Journey to the Heart of Africa,” Linton described her experiences in Zambia. She detailed hiding from armed rebels and her fear of being found as she was a “skinny white muzungu with long angel hair,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
On Twitter, people accused Linton of lying or exaggerating about the extent of the violence in Zambia and hailed her work as a “white savior” fantasy.
The book is no longer available on Amazon.
She posed with new cash
Linton again raised eyebrows when she posed with Mnuchin holding a sheet of brand-new $1 bills in November 2017.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, right, and his wife Louise Linton, hold up a sheet of new $1 bills, the first currency notes bearing his and U.S. Treasurer Jovita Carranza's signatures, Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2017, at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
In the photo, Linton is wearing elbow-length black leather gloves and skirt and top.
Because of the controversial photo-op, Linton told Elle magazine that her skirt and gloves remain in her closet.
“I really hope someday I can wear that outfit again,” Linton told the magazine. “Because I really liked it.”
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