Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin’s wife, Louise Linton – who once played Marie Antoinette in her most fitting role, lost her head in a lengthy and extremely snarky response to an Oregon woman who took exception to an expensive, private flight taken by the Mnuchins at government expense. While Linton has since apologized for her nasty rebuttal,the incident has engendered scrutiny on several counts.
Linton’s response to her critic revealed the sensibilities of a Trump. In part, she replied: “Aw!!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable!” Linton also told commoners why she is more entitled: “Have you given more to the economy than me or my husband? You’re adorably out of touch” smiley face. Valerie Plame weighed in posting “It’s a little “let them eat cake” don’t you think?”
While it’s lovely that Linton is showing an interest in her husband’s work (yawn), Mnuchin’s own deleted Facebook caption revealed that they enjoyed “a much more exclusive view (of the eclipse) on the roof of Fort Knox in Kentucky.” The trip also included several parties.
CREW Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington is reviewing the incident. “A number of things don’t quite add up,” the organization’s director of communications, Jordan Libowitz, told Vanity Fair on Thursday.. “First, why was [Mnuchin] going to inspect the gold in the first place? He’s the first treasury secretary to visit [the gold vault] in nearly 70 years. No one has gone since 1948.”
According to the Post, the Defense Department encourages government employees to make all attempts at minimizing travel costs. This would include avoiding trips via private plane, which federal documents show has a reimbursable rate of up to $10,000 an hour. Mnuchin will now reimburse the government for the expense. In the words of the Missus, “Isn’t that adorable?”