What did the heckler say at the State of the Union?
WASHINGTON - A Gold Star father who shouted out criticisms at President Biden during the State of the Union address has been arrested.
Steve Nikoui, 51, is the father of a U.S. Marine who was killed during the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Nikoui was escorted out of the House Galleries during Biden's speech Thursday after he stood up and began yelling "Abbey Gate" repeatedly.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: A heckler yells out as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers the State of the Union address during a joint meeting of Congress in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol on March 07, 2024 in Washington, DC. This is Biden’s last S
The heckling was a reference to an attack at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan that occurred during the military's withdrawal from the country.
The surprise attack killed 13 U.S. service members and injured at least 170 civilians — including Nikoui's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui.
Nikoui was confronted by security during his outburst, who demanded he stop. He refused and continued shouting.
He was removed from the House Galleries and arrested by Capitol Police on the misdemeanor charge of Crowding, Obstructing or Incommoding.
US President Joe Biden during a State of the Union address at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, March 7, 2024. (Photographer: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Nikoui was in attendance as a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., who released a statement explaining his choice to bring the Gold Star father to the Capitol.
"By inviting Steve to join the State of the Union, I am reminding President Biden of the damage he has done to national security and American families," Mast wrote ahead of the State of the Union address.
Mast is the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Accountability and Oversight.
Check out the moment below: