DC AG drops charges against Gold Star father who disrupted Biden's SOTU speech

Nikoui attended the State of the Union as a guest of Florida GOP Rep. Brian Mast.

By Ben Whedon

Published: March 19, 2024 10:26pm

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has dropped charges against Steve Nikoui, the father of a veteran killed in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal who disrupted the State of the Union address.

Nikoui attended the State of the Union as a guest of Florida GOP Rep. Brian Mast, Fox News reported. He interrupted President Joe Biden's speech by yelling "Abbey Gate!" before he was removed from the chamber. He was subsequently arrested by Capitol Police.

Schwalb's office confirmed to Fox that it had opted against pursuing the case against Nikoui.

His son, Kareem, died during the 2021 American withdrawal from Afghanistan that marked a chaotic end to the 20-year American presence after 9/11. "Abbey Gate" appears to be a reference to the location his son died, alongside 12 other troops in Kabul, according to the New York Times.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.