Republican lawmakers mobilized behind the Gold Star father arrested after heckling President Biden during the State of the Union address on Thursday.
Steve Nikoui, the father of a U.S. Marine killed by a suicide bomber during the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, stood up and repeatedly shouted, “Abbey Gate!,” in reference to the attack at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport that occurred during the military’s exit from the country.
Nikoui shouted after Biden said, “America is safer today than when I took office.” Capitol Police escorted Nikoui out of Biden’s address and arrested him.
Republicans have since taken to social media to rally around the Gold Star father.
GOLD STAR DAD STEVE NIKOUI ARRESTED AFTER HECKLING BIDEN AT SOTU ADDRESS
Steve Nikoui yells as President Biden delivers the State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on Thursday. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast, who invited Nikoui to the address, criticized Biden after the ordeal.
“Steve Nikoui, the father of fallen Marine LCpl. Kareem Nikoui, was my guest to {the State of the Union address],” Mast wrote on X. “He was arrested because he cried out to [Biden] to remember his son.”
“Joe Biden has never honored those killed at the Abby Gate and still hails the catastrophic withdrawal as a success!” Mast said.
Rep. Mike Waltz, also a Florida Republican, posted a picture of himself alongside Nikoui and took aim at Biden.
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“This Gold Star father – Steve Nikoui – lost his son Kareem Nikoui at Abbey Gate Afghanistan,” Waltz wrote on X. “Then Kareem’s older brother committed suicide over the loss.”
“To this day, Biden has never apologized or said Kareem’s name in public,” he continued. “And Steve was ARRESTED for demanding Biden do so at SOTU. Seriously?”
Likewise, California Republican Rep. Darrell Issa threw his support behind Nikoui.
“I stand with the Gold Star families from Afghanistan — especially my friend Steve Nikoui. He gave the only poignant speech I heard last night,” Issa wrote Friday morning on X.
“The President and First Lady will always honor the sacrifices of the 13 servicemembers who were killed in that attack,” a National Security Council spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “We mourn with them, we remember their loved ones, and we will continue to support these Gold Star families.”
The surprise Abbey Gate attack killed 13 U.S. service members and injured at least 170 civilians, including Nikoui’s son.
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Nikoui was charged with crowding, obstructing or incommoding, a misdemeanor. He has since been released.
Fox News Digital’s Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.
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