In an interview on Monday, the father, a Gold Star recipient, who was ejected and arrested during Thursday’s State of the Union address, provided a detailed narrative of the events leading to his emotional outburst aimed at President Joe Biden.
Steve Nikoui, mourning the loss of his son, U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, recounted the tragic circumstances surrounding his son’s death in the summer of 2021 amid Biden’s troubled Afghanistan evacuation.
Invited to the State of the Union as a special guest by Republican Rep. Brian Mast of Florida, Nikoui found the experience emotionally overwhelming. Reflecting on the ordeal, he described it as “an uncomfortable situation.”
“I wanted to go, but I also didn’t want to go,” the father continued. “And when I was there, seeing the theatrics, the circus… it just got to me.”
During Thursday’s speech, as President Biden declared that “America is safer today than when I took office,” Nikoui couldn’t overlook the harsh reality of his son’s tragic fate.
Calling out his son’s name and questioning the president about the Abbey Gate incident, Nikoui calmly left the chamber at the Capitol police’s direction, only to be later arrested and charged with a misdemeanor. He was eventually released early Friday morning.
Nikoui, deeply respectful of the presidency, recalled feeling offended during the 2022 State of the Union when Biden transitioned from discussing Afghanistan to his late son Beau and climate change.
Attributing his son’s death to the Biden administration, Nikoui highlighted the departure from the withdrawal agreement formulated by former President Donald Trump, arguing that adhering to the plan could have spared his son’s life.
While maintaining his conviction that Biden bore some responsibility for his son’s death, Nikoui affirmed his dedication to forgiveness rooted in his religious beliefs.
However, he insists on holding the administration accountable for what he views as significant lapses in judgment, emphasizing the importance of speaking out, despite the misdemeanor charge he currently confronts.
“I don’t think I disrespected anyone. I don’t think I dishonored my son,” Nikoui stated with a poignant breath, struggling to maintain composure.
Kareem Nikoui, along with a dozen other American service members, tragically perished in a suicide attack at the Abbey Gate of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.
The rapid takeover by the Taliban obliterated two decades of efforts to counter the extremist group, with the defining feature of 2021 being the Taliban’s acquisition of a vast array of military equipment abandoned by the Biden administration.
Nikoui’s arrest has sparked surprise and criticism from both ends of the political spectrum. Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips expressed empathy, stating, “As a Gold Star Son myself, I can only imagine the pain he has endured since losing his son in Afghanistan.”
As a Gold Star Son myself, I can only imagine the pain he has felt since losing his son in Afghanistan.
— Dean Phillips (@deanbphillips) March 8, 2024
No one should interrupt a State of the Union Address, but if Marjorie Taylor Greene wasn’t arrested for her outbursts, why should he? https://t.co/ONl6cRh8p6
