Trump Jr Mocks Biden's Non-binary Nuclear Official After Theft Charge

Donald Trump Jr. has ridiculed an official of Joe Biden's Department of Energy after news broke that they had been charged with theft.

On Monday evening, Trump Jr. took to Twitter to share a Mail Online story about the arrest of Sam Brinton.

The headline read: "Joe Biden's non-binary drag queen nuclear waste guru Sam Brinton, 34, is charged with theft after they were 'caught on camera stealing a bag' from Minneapolis Airport's baggage claim."

Sharing the headline and pictures of Brinton, Trump Jr. added the caption: "Who could have seen this coming from they/them?"

In June this year, Brinton made headlines after becoming the deputy assistant secretary of spent fuel and waste disposition in the Department of Energy. They are the first non-binary person to hold this position.

Brinton said in a LinkedIn post at the time that they had received more than 100 death threats before starting the role.

They told E&E News in October: "There's been a lot of people who are quite upset that don't think that I am quite as qualified as others... I respond with multiple graduate degrees from MIT, a decade of working in nuclear policy, and the strongest enthusiasm for working in nuclear waste out of anybody."

In a complaint from October 27, it is alleged that on September 16 Brinton was seen on camera taking a navy blue hard-sided roller bag from baggage claim before leaving the airport.

A bag of that same description was reported missing by a woman earlier that day. The victim estimated the value of the content and the bag to be around $2,325.

The complaint also noted that Brinton was at the airport that day and was seen leaving with the bag despite not checking in a bag themselves.

On October 9, at Washington Dulles Airport, on a return trip from Europe, Brinton was seen on camera carrying a navy blue hard-sided roller bag, to which the victim confirmed it was her missing bag.

Initially, when contacted by authorities, Brinton denied knowingly taking anything that did not belong to them. They said that the clothes found within the missing bag were hers, however.

Two hours later, Brinton called back to apologize for not being "completely honest" and admitted to taking the blue bag but said they were tired and took it thinking it was theirs.

The complaint noted that the maximum sentence for the felony theft charged that Brinton could face is 5 years in prison, a $10,000 fine, or both. Brinton's next court hearing is to take place on December 19.

Brinton has not been at work for at least a month and Kim Petry, the acting deputy assistant secretary for spent fuel, has taken over the role for the time being, according to the Mail Online report.

Petry has said that she has been asked to stay on as head of the spent fuel office "for the foreseeable future" by Kathryn Huff, assistant secretary for nuclear energy.

"I should have another update for all of you in a month or so," Petry wrote in the email as seen by Exchange Monitor.

Newsweek has reached out to Brinton and the DOE for comment.