Louise Linton, Steven Mnuchin’s wife, goes from book controversy to Instagram controversy

Louise Linton, the wife of U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin and author of a controversial self-published 2016 memoir about her experiences volunteering in Africa, is drawing fire over her Instagram account.

On an account that has since been made private, Linton posted a photo of herself and Mnuchin getting off a U.S. government jet with the caption, “Great #daytrip to #Kentucky! #nicest #people #beautiful #countryside #rolandmouret pants #tomford sunnies, #hermesscarf #vanetinorockstudheels #valentino #usa.�

The post immediately drew criticism, Buzzfeed reports, including from user Jenni Miller, who wrote, “Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable.�

Linton fired back with a long, emoji-studded comment that began, “Aw!!! Did you think this was a personal trip?! Adorable!�

“Do you think the US govt paid for our honeymoon or personal travel?!� she continued. “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?�

“Your life looks cute,� Linton wrote near the end of the tirade. “Have a pleasant evening. Go chill out and watch the new game of thrones. It’s fab!�

Linton’s rant comes just over a year after her memoir, “In Congo’s Shadow: One Girl’s Perilous Journey to the Heart of Africa,� drew fire from people who questioned the veracity of her account of her time in Zambia, accused her of perpetuating stereotypes of Africans and of writing a “white savior� fantasy.

Karen Attiah of the Washington Post wrote that Linton “may have written the defining work of the White-Savior-in-Africa genre for the digital age…. she deploys, with maximum flourish, just about every lazy trope there is when it comes to writing about Africa.�

Linton later pulled the self-published book from sale and apologized, telling the (London) Times, “I am deeply sorry to those whom I have offended with my book . . . I now see how my characterizations of the country and its people have been interpreted as condescending.�

Linton’s Instagram post was widely mocked on Twitter, with some users tying the controversy to her literary past: