She’s been dubbed “Cruella de Vil” for the infamous leather opera glove photo she took posing with a literal sheet of money, while simultaneously being compared to Marie Antoinette for her gaffes surrounding her extravagant fashion choices.
But Louise Linton, wife of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who grew up in a full-on castle, has repeatedly apologized for her past blunders and wants the public to know she’s just like us.
And in some ways, maybe she is —like when it comes to her discomfort being around President Trump’s eldest son.
During a new interview in LA Magazine, Linton spoke at length about her past and present efforts to prevent animal abuse and advocate against wild game hunting. When asked about Donald Trump Jr.’s efforts as an advocate of big-game hunting, Linton admitted she feels “uncomfortable” going to dinner with the President’s son.
“Yes, I feel uncomfortable,” she said after a long pause. “Look, I do what I can. I was involved in a couple of meetings at the White House, one of them was a Pets for Vets thing. So there I was, sitting in the Roosevelt Room in a suit, with all these other animal advocates, and my husband walks past and he does a double take, like, ‘Honey? What are you doing in the Roosevelt Room?’ (Laughs.) I’m like, ‘Hi Steve. I’m just here being a voice for the animals!'”
Linton also discussed the difficult position the Trump administration has put her and her social life in when it comes to its stance on LGBT issues.
“Look, all of my besties are gay. I did the Pride Run last year and again this year. Stormchasers was a sponsor! So…I’m caught between a rock and a hard place with these questions,” she said.
“Either I can express my beliefs and be at odds with my husband and his boss and get in trouble that way, or I can decline to comment and be in hot water with everyone else. Sucks either way. I very much respect my husband and the President of the United States, but I am an individual with my own beliefs and views. You should measure me by my actions, the friends I keep and the charities I support, not by the politics of my husband. It’s like walking a tightrope of dental floss in high heels and trying not to fall left or right. I’m just trying to walk the line in a way that isn’t going to piss anybody off.”
Linton also admitted that she rather enjoys spending time with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his wife Susan, suggesting she’d rather have a “bad jeans and bad sweater night” with the Pompeos than host “D.C. society dinner parties” any day.
“No, we are notoriously the only couple that doesn’t do D.C. society dinner parties,” she said. “I do very small ones with good friends like Mike and Susan Pompeo. I tell him, ‘Mike, if you come over wearing a tie, I’m going to send you home. We’re doing bad jeans and bad sweater night, OK, and we’re cooking together, and we’re hanging out casual style.’ He’s such great fun. We did one dinner party once to celebrate our birthdays.”
Read the full profile, which divulges a fun fact about Mnuchin’s festival-going days, here.
