Treasury secretary's wife apologizes after Instagram uproar

Louise Linton had an exchange with a user over a photo she posted.

ByABC News
August 22, 2017, 6:12 PM

— -- The wife of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has apologized after lashing out at a critic on Instagram before making her account private on Tuesday.

Louise Linton, a Scottish actress-producer, married Mnuchin in late June, and has been by his side for a number of work-related trips.

A photo Linton posted where she highlighted her designer fashions and then went on to criticize a commenter caused uproar online today, and she has since apologized.

“I apologize for my post on social media yesterday as well as my response. It was inappropriate and highly insensitive," Linton said in a statement on Tuesday through her spokesperson.

In the photo posted Monday, she is leaving a government plane with Mnuchin close behind. She wrote in the photo's caption, "Great #daytrip to #Kentucky! #nicest #people #beautiful #countryside."

She went on to include hashtags of various luxury designers she was wearing: "#rolandmouret pants #tomford sunnies, #hermesscarf #valentinorockstudheels #valentino #usa."

PHOTO: Vice President Mike Pence, center, officiates the wedding of  Louise Linton, left, and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.
Vice President Mike Pence, center, officiates the wedding of Louise Linton, left, and Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin, June 24, 2017 at Andrew Mellon Auditorium in Washington, D.C.

One user wrote in response to her photo, "Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable."

The comment apparently didn't sit well with Linton, who wrote back that she and her husband are making sacrifices for his government job.

"Aw!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable! Did 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?" she shot back.

Linton continued, "I'm pretty sure we paid more taxes toward our day 'trip' than you did. Pretty sure the amount we sacrifice per year is a lot more than you'd be willing to sacrifice if the choice was yours."

Linton called the user "adorably out of touch."

"Thanks for the passive aggressive nasty comment. Your kids look very cute. Your life looks cute," Linton wrote.

Her Instagram account has since been set to private, but a number of news sites, including The New York Times and CNN, were able to capture a screen-grab of the post and others, including The Washington Post and CNBC, quoted the post.

"The Mnuchins are reimbursing the government for her travel, and she receives no compensation for products she mentions," a spokesperson for the Treasury Department said in a statement to ABC News.

ABC News' Alisa Wiersema contributed to this report.

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