SoCal Father Removed Amid President Biden's State Of The Union Address

NORCO, CA — The "Gold Star" father of a slain United States Marine was arrested amid President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech Thursday.

Steven Nikoui, 51, of Norco, stood up and shouted, "Remember Abbey Gate!" and "United States Marines!" during the address while Biden continued speaking. The ousted man was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R- Florida.

Nikoui's shouts were in response to Biden's statement, "America is safer today than when I took office," shown in a video released by NBC.

United States Capitol Police removed the Gold Star father from the chamber and then arrested him. Capitol police warned Nikoui to stop, but he refused and was subsequently removed and arrested. Police stated that he faces charges of "crowding, obstructing, or incommoding," as "demonstrating in the Congressional Buildings is illegal," a spokesperson for the Capitol Police said.

Abbey Gate referred to the 2021 terrorist attack at an entrance to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan. The blast killed 13 Americans and at least 170 Afghans. Steven Nikoui's son, Marine Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, was among 11 Marines and two other service members killed when an Islamic State terrorist detonated explosives that he had carried onto the perimeter of the airport during the chaotic evacuation of U.S. forces and diplomats.

Kareem Nikoui's brother, Dakota Halverson, 28, died one year later in an apparent suicide at Norco's Pikes Peak Park, near Kareem Nikoui's memorial. He was buried next to his brother, a GoFundMe for the family said.

In a statement Friday, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Temecula, joined with Nikoui and other Gold Star family members Coral Briseno, Darin Hoover, Cheryl Jules, Alicia Lopez, Mark Schmitz and Christy Shamblin — who all lost loved ones in the 2021 bombing — in calling out Biden for what they described as a lack of accountability.

"Last night was a lost opportunity — once again — for President Biden to finally speak in public about the 13 servicemembers lost in the bombing in Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021," the statement released by Issa's office read. "Once again, he was silent.

"So a Gold Star family member spoke out instead. He made sure the President heard the words 'Abbey Gate,' where his son and 12 other heroes fell in service to our country. He spoke for all of us. And he did nothing wrong. His frustration, anger and disappointment follow more than two-and-a-half years of delay, denial and silence."

The 13 Marines who died in that explosion have been a frequent talking point for Issa, who blames Biden for what he has called a poorly planned and short-sighted withdrawal from America's longest war.

Issa's office was and remains heavily involved in rescue operations for American interpreters and other allies from the reinstated Taliban government in Afghanistan. Following the withdrawal, Biden praised the "extraordinary success of this mission."

Issa and the families disagreed.

"The families have been denied the personal possessions of their loved ones," Issa said in the Friday statement. "They have been denied their rightful access to military bases as clearly allowed by law. And they've been denied any kind of complete accounting of the events of that day. Biden has never made this right.

"He said nothing. But we will never be silent. This isn't over."

City News Service contributed to this report.