Minister's wife must apologize for... 'showing off'

The wife of US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin apologized on August 22 for responding to comments criticizing her after her 'showing off' Instagram post.

Mr. Mnuchin’s wife, Louise Linton (36 years old), is a Scottish actress. On August 21, she posted on Instagram a photo of herself getting off a government helicopter with her husband, along with a series of hashtags of famous fashion brands such as “tomford”, “hermescarf”, “valentino”.

Jenni Miller, a woman from Portland, Oregon, commented on Linton’s post: “Glad we could contribute to your vacation. This is despicable.”

Linton quickly responded to the comment: “Do you think the US government pays for our honeymoon or our private trips? You contribute more to the economy than my husband and I? I am sure we paid more taxes on this ‘trip’ than you.”

A photo Ms. Linton posted on Instagram with the names of famous fashion brands has received much criticism. Photo: Reuters

However, on August 22, she apologized: "I apologize for my social media post yesterday and my response. It was inappropriate and quite sensitive." Recently, Ms. Linton also changed her Instagram account to private mode. The US Treasury Department has yet to comment on the incident.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and his wife, Louise Linton. Photo: Reuters

According to Reuters, the fashion brands that Ms. Linton mentioned in her post are extremely expensive, with the Hermes scarf alone costing between $300 and $2,300.

Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs banker and Hollywood financier, is the US Treasury secretary. His wife, Linton, has also been at the centre of controversy before. Last year, she withdrew a self-published book that described her being caught up in violence in Zambia. African leaders and aid workers said the book contained false information.

According to PLO