‘Seriously?’: Republicans Slam Arrest of Marine Gold Star Father Who Shouted at Biden During SOTU

RIVERSIDE, CA - SEPTEMBER 18: Steve Nikoui gets choked up as he eulogizes his son Marine L
Cindy Yamanaka/MediaNews Group/The Riverside Press-Enterprise via Getty
Kristina Wong

Republicans slammed the arrest of Steve Nikoui, the father of a Marine killed during President Joe Biden’s botched Afghanistan withdrawal, for demanding during the State of the Union that Biden recognize the 13 U.S. service members killed.

Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL), a retired Green Beret colonel and Afghanistan War veteran, posted a photo of himself with Nikoui at the Capitol before the speech, posting:

This Gold Star father – Steve Nikoui – lost his son Kareem Nikoui at Abbey Gate Afghanistan.

Then Kareem’s older brother committed suicide over the loss.

To this day, Biden has never apologized or said Kareem’s name in public.

And Steve was ARRESTED for demanding Biden do so at SOTU. Seriously?

Nikoui — who was a guest of Army veteran Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) — had interrupted Biden’s speech after he bragged about keeping Americans safe.

He was heard shouting “Abbey Gate” — the entrance to the Kabul International Airport where his son and 12 other troops were killed by a suicide bomber on the last days of the chaotic and unplanned withdrawal, and “United States Marines.”

File/Undated photo released by 1st Marine Division, Camp Pendleton, shows Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco who was killed in the Kabul airport bombing on Aug. 26, 2021. (1st Marine Division/MediaNews Group/Orange County Register via Getty)

File/Shana Chappell, mom of slain Marine Lance Cpl Kareem Nikoui, is hugged during a celebration-of-life service for him at Harvest Christian Fellowship Church, Riverside, on Saturday, Sept. 18, 2021. He rescued three families and was going back to save a child when he was killed in Afghanistan airport attack. (Cindy Yamanaka/MediaNews Group/The Riverside Press-Enterprise via)

A reporter posted a photo of Nikoui handcuffed.

Mast furiously posted:

The Sergeant at Arms is holding my State of the Union guest for yelling at @POTUS
in protest because his son was killed in action at the Abbey Gate due to Biden’s incompetence.

So much for the right to petition our government for the redress of grievances.

He later slammed Nikoui’s arrest for wanting Biden to remember his son.

“Steve Nikoui, the father of fallen Marine LCpl. Kareem Nikoui, was my guest to #SOTU2024. He was arrested because he cried out to @JoeBiden to remember his son,” he posted.

“Joe Biden has never honored those killed at the Abby Gate and still hails the catastrophic withdrawal as a success!” he added.

According to Axios, Nikoui was charged with a local misdemeanor charge of “crowding, obstructing or incommoding” — despite members of Congress also disrupting Biden’s speech.

Axios also reported that D.C. code prohibits protesting “in an area where it is otherwise unlawful to demonstrate” and continuing “after being instructed by a law enforcement officer to cease,” and that the charge carries a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in prison.

The Capitol Police claimed they warned him to stop yelling and when he did not, he was removed and arrested.

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