WASHINGTON — Rep. Darrell Issa (R-Bonsall) on Tuesday urged Capitol Police to drop charges against the Southern California father who interrupted the State of the Union address by shouting his son’s name and the place where he was killed in Afghanistan.
Steve Nikoui, 51, father of a U.S. Marine killed in 2021 when U.S. military forces withdrew from Afghanistan, was arrested March 7 in the House chamber for interrupting President Biden’s State of the Union address. He yelled the names of Marines killed in a suicide bombing, including his son Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, and “Abbey Gate,” the location of the airport attack.
“Mr. Nikoui’s arrest for emotionally expressing his grief and seeking acknowledgment for his son’s sacrifice during the State of the Union — where he called out, “Abbey Gate! Kareem Nikoui! Second Battalion, First Marines!” — highlighted a profound disconnect between the sacrifices made by our service members and the recognition they deserve. Though he interrupted the event, what Mr. Nikoui voiced out loud was a cry for the acknowledgment of the loss endured by the families of the 13 who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” Issa wrote in a letter Tuesday to Capitol Police Chief Thomas Manger. …read more…