The wife of one of Donald Trump's top aides has deleted an Instagram post where she showed support for Greta Thunberg, just days after her husband at taking a pop at the climate change activist.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Steve Mnuchin, who is the US Treasury Secretary and a member of Trump's cabinet, claimed that Thunberg should not be commenting on the climate crisis as she was not knowledgable enough on the subject.
The 57-year-old said:
Is she the chief economist or who is she? I'm confused. After she goes and studies economics in college, she can come back and explain that to us.
The 17-year-old didn't ignore this jab at her activism and posted a short Twitter thread showing that although she didn't have a degree in economics she understood what was happening to our fossil fuel subsidies and carbon budget.
My gap year ends in August, but it doesn’t take a college degree in economics to realise that our remaining 1,5° ca… https://t.co/OIvIZompij— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1579790380
So either you tell us how to achieve this mitigation or explain to future generations and those already affected by… https://t.co/eF654sWl7g— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1579790417
Graph from @CarbonBrief by @hausfath and @robbie_andrew based on United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) emissions gap report. 3/3— Greta Thunberg (@Greta Thunberg) 1579790523
Although Thunberg didn't directly reference Mnuchin in her tweet or tag him, it was obvious who her message was aimed at.
Now, just a few days later his wife, the actor Louise Linton took to Instagram to post a message of support for the young Swede, writing:
I stand with Greta on this issue. (I don't have a degree in economics either) We have to drastically reduce our use of fossil fuels. Keep up the fight @gretathunberg.
However, the post has since been deleted but that hasn't stopped people sharing it as evidence of her support for Thunberg, which was made better by the fact that she tagged them both in the original post.
🚨Louise Linton comes out against her own husband, Steve Mnuchin, to side with Greta Thunberg🚨 Earlier this week, M… https://t.co/DtYpr1Tf7J— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivia Nuzzi) 1579986787
The best part is she tagged both of them!! I love her! Wow https://t.co/noAFBOcEgp— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivia Nuzzi) 1579986846
This is far from the first time that Linton, a passionate animal rights advocate, has said something that is contrary to her husband's views.
Speaking to LA Magazine in June 2019 she explained that despite who her husband worked for she did not support Trump.
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.
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