President Trump continues to have ‘total confidence’ in his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.
‘I have known him for a very long time,’ Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Thursday, as he returned to D.C. from surveying hurricane damage. ‘He’s a very straight shooter … He’s a very honorable man.’
Mnuchin has taken heat this week over a travel request he put in to take a government plane to Europe for a honeymoon with his new wife, Scottish actress Louise Linton – and for bringing her along with him on a work trip to Kentucky, where the new couple was able to watch the solar eclipse.
President Trump expressed confidence in his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin when talking to reporters on Air Force On on Thursday
Mocchin’ Mnuchin: Steve Mnuchin (above last month) denied that he used a government plane to travel to Kentucky on the day of the solar eclipse in order to view the celestial spectacle
Mona Louise-a: The Treasury Secretary, 54, brought along his third wife Louise Linton, 36, on the trip, which came just one week after they returned from their honeymoon
Tone deaf twosome: Linton became enmeshed in her own scandal when she lashed out at a working mother who questioned why she was flying on a government plane (above)
The thrice-married millionaire, 54, said that he and his twice-married wife, 36, inquired if they could use the plane not for their own self-interest or personal convenience, but rather as an issue of national security.
Mnuchin explained that as a member of the president’s National Security Council he needed a secure communication link with Washington and his staff put in a request for use of an Air Force jet as a result.
If that request had been granted, the $25,000-and-hour jet would have been keeping the lines secure and Mnuchins safe as they stopped off in Scotland, Paris and later Lake Como.
The cabinet member was not quite done addressing his recent scandals involving government aircraft however, using his appearance to also speak about his now infamous trip to Kentucky that coincided with the solar eclipse.
Mnuchin later flat out denied claims that he and his Scottish-born wife had used the government-owned plane to travel to Louisville and later Fort Knox so they could view the solar eclipse during his speech.
He then went on to state that the trip had originally been scheduled for a different time, and that he was not even all that interested in the celestial spectacle because he is from New York.
‘You know, people in Kentucky took this stuff very serious,’ said Mnuchin.
‘Being a New Yorker and (living for a time in) California, I was like, the eclipse? Really? I don’t have any interest in watching the eclipse.’
Mnuchin did still manage to sit through the spectacle despite his disregard and disinterest for the sun and moon’s movements.
And he was joined at the viewing party by one of those ‘very serious’ Kentucky residents, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell.
Mnuchin said that he had scrapped a staff plan to view the eclipse from the roof of a building at Fort Knox, and instead looked at it briefly from the ground using a pair of eclipse glasses that someone handed him.
The princess and the Pence: Linton became Mnuchin’s third wife in June
Asked by the moderator if it was an ‘eclipse boondoggle,’ Mnuchin said: ‘We went to see Fort Knox… Fort Knox is a symbol of the economic might of our country.’
And on the topic of the honeymoon trip, Mnuchin said he ended up withdrawing his own request in the end.
Mnuchin said once it became clear to him that he could obtain secure communications links without a government plane he called off the inquiry into obtaining one from the administration.
‘Let me just set the record straight. First of all, the government never paid for any of my personal travel,’ stated Mnuchin at the press conference, sponsored by Politico.
‘This had nothing to do with convenience. This was purely about national security.’
Linton posted a photo of herself in Paris on the trip, as well as a video of the couple boating off the coast of Italy which showed the Secret Service members who were also sent on the trip.
Since the requests became public, the Treasury’s Office of Inspector General confirmed that it was looking into ‘all requests for and use of government aircraft’ at Treasury.
Peek-a-boo: The pair are also being criticized after it was revealed Mnuchin had initially submitted a request to have a government jet for their honeymoon last month (Linton above boating in Italy)
Money shot: Linton puckers up to Mnuchin as the two travel down the coast of Italy last month on their honeymoon (above)
Hanging on the telephone: Mnuchin (above in Italy) said that as a member of the president’s National Security Council he needed a secure communication link with Washington and his staff
Protect and serve: Linton’s video of the trip seemed to show at least one Secret Service agent (center) accompanying the two on their travels
On that trip down south in August, Linton and Mnuchin first stopped in Louisville for a luncheon on the day in question before moving on to Fort Knox.
Cabinet members generally travel on commercial flights to meetings and events, with government aircraft used only on official business.
If commercial flights are unavailable cabinet members will at times be permitted to travel on a government plane, which because of the eclipse could have been the case the day that Mnuchin took his wife with him to Kentucky.
Summer in Scotland : Linton and Mnuchin enjoy a day of gray in Edinburgh (baove)
The newlyweds have been inseparable ever since their June wedding, but it was still quite a surprise for some to see that Linton accompanied her husband on a government plane for his trip to Kentucky.
Linton outed herself as having joined Mnuchin by posting the Instagram photo, in which she tagged her designer outfit in the post as well, a mix of high-end brands that included Tom Ford, Valentino, Roland Mouret and Hermes.
‘Great #daytrip to #Kentucky!’ Linton wrote under the photograph.
She then added hashtags for various pieces of her expensive wardrobe, listing #rolandmouret, #hermesscarf, #tomford and #valentino,’ wrote Linton.
Her subsequent outburst came after Jennifer Miller, a working mother with three children, called Linton ‘deplorable’ in the comment section.
Miller responded by writing in the comments: ‘Glad we could pay for your little getaway. #deplorable.’
‘Have you given more to the economy than me and my husband?’ asked Linton in response to Miller’s comment.
‘Either as an individual earner in taxes OR in self sacrifice to your country?’
Suicide squad: Mnuchin, who is also a Hollywood producer, was married in front of the Trumps and Karen pence, whose husband officiated the wedding
Tartan it up: Linton was married once before prior to walking down the aisle with Mnuchin
Hall on earth: ‘He is a very straight shooter …. He’s a very honorable man,’ President Trump said of Mnuchin on Thursday (pair above in April)
A statement was later released by a spokesperson for Mnuchin, which said: ‘The Mnuchins are reimbursing the government for [Linton’s] travel, and she does not receive compensation for products she mentions.’
That was enough to satisfy Miller, who said of the White House’s response: ‘I’m actually glad. I’m glad that, you know, they are reimbursing all of us, the government, the taxpayers for this trip that she used to advertise for brands that, I don’t know, if her friends own them or what.’
Linton released her own statement at the time, saying: ‘I apologize for my post on social media yesterday as well as my response. It was inappropriate and highly insensitive.’
Miller meanwhile still seemed to be in disbelief that her comment had resulted in a this very public feud.
‘Honestly, it was probably just a weak moment for me,’ said an incredibly composed and well-spoken Miller in an interview with CNN one day after the social media spat.
‘I was frustrated already by some stories I had just read about the Secret Service running out of overtime money because of the excesses of the administration’s travel schedule, and then saw this woman who I didn’t know who she was.’
Miller continued: ‘I knew who the Treasury Secretary was, so I assumed it was his wife, getting off of a government plane for what I assumed was a government trip and basically advertising for all of these European, you know, high-end brands that your average person couldn’t afford.
She went on to add that it was even worse because it had been done in Kentucky, which is ‘one of the poorest states in our country.’