President Joe Biden delivered the 2024 State of the Union address on Thursday, invoking themes of freedom, democracy and unity during a contentious election year.
President Joe Biden’s State of the Union speech was interrupted by a heckler Thursday night to criticize the administration's controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Steve Nikoui, the father of a U.S. Marine who was killed during a 2021 airport bombing in Kabul, was escorted out of the SOTU after screaming "Abbey Gate!" across the House chambers.
Nikoui's son, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, and 12 other U.S. service members were killed during the suicide bombing at Abbey Gate airport that also killed 170 Afghan civilians. The Islamic State terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.
State of the Union
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Republican Rep. Brian Mast, who also served in Army in Afghanistan, invited Nikoui to the SOTU as his guest.
"For the last three SOTU speeches, Joe Biden REFUSED to say the names of the 13 U.S. servicemembers who were killed by his disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal," Mast posted on social media after Nikoui's SOTU outburst.
