Not long after gold star father Steve Nikoui was arrested by Capitol Police for heckling President Joe Biden during his State of the Union address on Thursday, he was given a rousing welcome at an Irish pub in Washington, D.C., the New York Post reported.
As Biden was saying, “America’s safer today than when I took office,” he was interrupted by Nikoui, who yelled “Abbey Gate! Second Battalion. First Marines.”
Axios reported that Nikoui was arrested by Capitol Police and charged with “crowding, obstructing, or incommoding,” a misdemeanor.
Newsmax host Todd Starnes offered to play Nikoui’s fines should he be convicted.
Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, Steve Nikoui’s son, was killed during the attack on Hamid Karzai International Airport in August 2021 when Biden pulled all U.S. forces out of Afghanistan. Steve Nikoui was a guest of Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla.
Other gold star families were at the Dubliner Restaurant just down the street from the U.S. Capitol and burst out in cheers of “Steven Nikoui” when he entered the pub.
House Republicans who had invited the families to the speech asked the Capitol Police police to drop the charges.
Rep Mike Waltz, R-Fla., posted on X, “If he’s charged — and he better not be — I will pay his fine.”
Gold Star father Darin Hoover told the Post via phone interview on Friday that Steve Nikoui will be facing “a fine of $500 or 90 days in jail or both.”
“He was taken out in handcuffs,” Hoover said. “And so we all sat there and waited and waited and waited — and gave him a hero’s welcome when he came in.”
“If you know Steve, he’s a very Christian man,” Hoover added, noting that he had his Bible with him when he was arrested. “He’d been thinking about it, and it’s been bugging him for a while because we haven’t gotten any of those answers … still nothing 2 1/2 years later.”
Marine Staff Sgt. Darin “Taylor” Hoover, Darin Hoover’s son, was also killed during the suicide bomb attack on Abbey Gate.
Upon entering the pub, Steve Nikoui received a warm hug from Darin Hoover, who said, “I’m so proud of you,” the Post reported.
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This story first appeared in Newsmax and is used here with permission.