In a surprising turn of events during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address, a guest was escorted out of the gallery after repeatedly shouting at the President. The incident sparked a heated debate, with former Democratic Presidential candidate Rep. Dean Phillips, D-Minn., coming to the defense of the guest, who is the father of a Marine killed during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The guest, identified as Steve Nikoui, stood up and began yelling "Abbey Gate" during the President's speech. The reference was to an attack that took place at the Abbey Gate of the Hamid Karzai International Airport during the military's withdrawal from Afghanistan. This attack resulted in the tragic loss of 13 U.S. service members and numerous civilian casualties, including Nikoui's son, Marine Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui.

Capitol Police later arrested Nikoui on charges of crowding, obstructing, or incommoding. The arrest prompted House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, R-Texas, to call for the charges against Nikoui to be dropped, emphasizing the emotional toll Nikoui has endured since the loss of his son.

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., had invited Nikoui as his guest to the State of the Union address. Mast quickly responded to Nikoui's arrest, expressing his disappointment and questioning the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. Mast's remarks indicated that Nikoui's outburst was driven by frustration over his son's death and perceived incompetence in the Afghan withdrawal.

In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rep. Dean Phillips voiced his support for Nikoui, citing his own experience as a Gold Star Son. Phillips noted that while interrupting a State of the Union address is unacceptable, he questioned why Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., had not faced arrest for her outbursts during the same event. Greene, who was wearing a red "Make America Great Again" hat, shouted "Say her name!" in reference to Laken Riley, a Georgia nursing student allegedly killed by a Venezuelan migrant in the country illegally.

The incident involving Nikoui's outburst and subsequent arrest has reignited discussions around freedom of speech, the impact of the Afghan withdrawal, and the behavior of lawmakers during official proceedings. As the debate unfolds, attention now turns to the potential resolution of the charges against Nikoui and the broader implications of such incidents within the political landscape.