One would think that, after seeing the deluge of criticism that President Trump and the first lady receive every time they tweet, White House staffers and their spouses would be more careful about what they post on social media. Earlier this week, though, the wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin proved that she’s not at all interested in being careful about what she shares with the world.On Sunday, Louise Linton posted a photo on Instagram and bragged about taking a trip to Kentucky on a government plane. She also tagged all of the brands that she was wearing in the photo.Jennifer Miller was among the many people who commented on Linton’s photo and criticized her for boasting about her wealth. In response to the photo, Miller wrote:
‘Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable’
Linton responded by saying that she and her husband pay more in taxes than Miller does, meaning that they somehow were more deserving of the opportunity to travel on a government plane. She also called Miller “adorably out of touch” and proceeded to lecture her about being nice on social media.Linton has since apologized for her response, calling it “inappropriate and highly insensitive.”It seems that apology was too little, too late for Miller, who said in an editorial published by CNN on Wednesday that she stands by her original comment.After clarifying that she was calling Linton’s bragging about her designer labels “deplorable,” Miller explained:
‘I stand by that sentiment. To see someone in her position — married to a wealthy former Wall Street executive who is now secretary of the treasury and affects national economic policy — hashtag her luxury purchases when so many Americans are suffering economically is, well, deplorable.’
Miller then went on to explain what was wrong with Linton’s response:
‘She chose to respond in a way that only clarified her privilege by extolling her wealth and position. In a follow-up post on Instagram, she said I was out of touch, which I find incredibly laughable. I don’t think she has any idea what everyday Americans deal with, especially when it comes to economic struggles. Since her husband is secretary of the treasury, it behooves her to find out.’