A Gold Star father, Steve Nikoui, was arrested for criticizing President Biden during the State of the Union. Nikoui, 51, lost his son, a U.S. marine, in the Afghanistan withdrawal of 2021.
During Biden's speech, he shouted "Abbey Gate" repeatedly and was escorted out. "Abbey Gate" refers to a deadly attack in Afghanistan that killed 13 U.S. service members, including Nikoui's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui.
President Biden was delivering his State of the Union address when the incident occurred. Security confronted Nikoui, asking him to stop. He refused and was removed and arrested by Capitol Police.
He faced a misdemeanor charge for his actions. Nikoui attended the event as a guest of Rep. Brian Mast. Mast invited Nikoui to remind Biden of the impact on national security and families.
Mast is the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight. He stood by his decision to bring Nikoui to the Capitol.
President Biden, facing low approval ratings and lagging behind Trump in polls, targeted his predecessor in his State of the Union. He criticized Trump and Republican lawmakers, calling out the GOP's approach to foreign policy.
Biden's speech, filled with digs at Trump, received mixed reactions. Democrats praised it, while Republicans criticized its partisanship. Bill McGurn called it the most partisan speech he's witnessed, signaling a return to big government.