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Mike Pence Officiated Steve Mnuchin & Louise Linton's Wedding
On Saturday, the Trump administration took a step back from the ongoing debates over foreign policy, climate change and the Senate GOP’s healthcare bill to celebrate one of its own. President Trump and Vice President Pence attended Steve Mnuchin’s wedding in Washington, D.C. The treasury secretary married Scottish actress Louise Linton in front of a 300-person crowd that included several Trump administration officials and Cabinet members.
The wedding took place at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium, a 1930s-era building near the National Mall. Fittingly, the building was named for former Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, who held the same office that Mnuchin now occupies. According to ABC News, the prominent Trump administration faces in attendance included the president and first lady Melania Trump, the vice president and second lady Karen Pence, as well as White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer and wife Rebecca Miller.
In fact, Vice President Pence, who has been known for his conservative religious beliefs, even officiated the wedding.
In attending and participating in Mnuchin’s wedding, the president and vice president took after their predecessors. Shortly before his second term came to an end, then-President Obama served as a groomsman in January in the wedding of White House aide Marvin Nicholson, whose job it had been to arrange the president’s travel. According to People, then-Secretary of State John Kerry also attended the wedding, which took place in Jacksonville, Florida. In 2014, the Obamas attended the wedding of advisor and chef Sam Kass, and in 2012, they reportedly attended the wedding of an aide’s daughter.
Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden became known during his time in office for officiating same-sex weddings. A longtime advocate of marriage equality, Biden married two White House staffers at his official residence in 2016. After leaving office, Biden continued the role, officiating the same-sex wedding of a Democratic National Committee leader.
The Trump administration’s strong showing at the Mnuchin-Linton wedding on Saturday was a symbol of unity within the administration. Earlier this year, Mnuchin’s nomination divided the Senate, as his Hollywood and Wall Street background reportedly worried Democrats. More recently, though, Mnuchin has made headlines for helping to finance the blockbuster hit that is Wonder Woman.