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Wife of Treasury Secretary Apologizes for Latest Controversy — But Did She Just Make It Worse?

Sep 5, 2017  •  Post A Comment

A number of observers are saying the “let her eat crow” moment for Louise Linton, in which the wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin attempted to apologize for being insensitive to the plight of the less fortunate, may have just made matters worse.

Linton discussed her latest controversy as part of a cover feature for Washington Life magazine, admitting she “deserved the criticism” she received for an Instagram post that triggered a backlash, with many readers viewing her remarks as condescending.

One problem is that the apology is accompanied by a feature in a D.C. society magazine in which Linton “poses in a pair of $10K gowns,” the U.K. publication The Daily Mail reports.

“The sit-down came just a few days after Linton was widely criticized for lashing out at a woman on Instagram by bragging about her wealth and pricey wardrobe,” The Daily Mail notes. “Linton, 36, said that she deserved all the criticism she received for the incident, which resulted in many likening her to Marie Antoinette.”

Linton is quoted in the piece saying: “‘Whether I’m in a ball gown or a pair of jeans, it’s not about me, or what I’m wearing, it’s about what I can be doing to support and empower others.”

But The Daily Mail notes that Linton “wears two $10,000 bridal gowns and a $1,500 Jason Wu dress in her six-page spread.”

The report also notes that the trip by Linton and Mnuchin in connection with the solar eclipse, which led to Linton’s social media tirade, “is now being investigated by the Inspector General to make sure ‘policies were observed.'”

Linton is quoted in Washington Life saying: “I one hundred percent embrace the comments of my critics and I concede wholeheartedly that the post was boastful and materialistic and my response was extremely thoughtless. I should have known better than to be so insensitive.”

She also acknowledges the apparent disconnect about the designer gowns. “I see the irony of making an apology in a ball gown,” Linton says in Washington Life. “But it would be dishonest to proclaim that I’m never going to go to another social function. That’s also part of my life. Charity fundraising galas have always been a wonderful way to support a myriad of causes.”

The Washington Post appears to be among the publications having a hard time buying Linton’s apology, noting: “The interview is both a public apology and an attempt to pivot on a designer stiletto, a feat made slightly more difficult by her previous flaunting of her wealth, which is mostly courtesy of her husband, a former Goldman Sachs exec (she shared a tour of her many-carated jewelry box with Town & Country magazine and boasted of her custom Ines Di Santo wedding gown).”

4 Comments

  1. Who?

  2. Some people; the only time they open their mouths is to change feet.

  3. Sleaze comes in all sizes and colors, and she is part and parcel of the Trumpy disconnect with the people in this country. It looks like France in the 18th century with Louis the XIV and Marie Antoinette in charge of starving the citizenry. We know how that reign ended, with Ms. Marie losing her head! We’ll see what develops here in the coming days and months.

  4. You can be super wealthy, just don’t flaunt it, because it reminds me that I made some poor choices in my life and am not rich. I’m very jealous of you and will do all I can to bring you down because I was too lazy, or too stupid, or both, to get rich myself. And I’m joined by a lot of other lazy, stupid people in wanting to bring you down. I should have listened to my parents and worked hard to get ahead in the world but it’s too late to do that now. All I can do is try to bring others down to my level; just like many others are doing. It’s sure nice to know that there are more of us lazy, stupid people than the rich folks.

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