Gold Star father arrested at Biden's State of the Union is 'blessed and humbled' after charges dropped against him: Steven Nikoui grateful for 'love and support' from Rep. Darrell Issa and the families of the soldiers killed in Afghanistan

Gold Star father Steven Nikoui says he is 'blessed and humbled' after charges were dropped against him following his arrest for heckling President Biden during his State of the Union address.

Nikoui, 51, was arrested and charged after shouting 'Remember Abbey Gate!' 'United States Marines!' and 'Abbey Gate!' from the balcony of the House chamber in the middle of the president's remarks on March 7. 

His son, Lance Cpl. Kareem Nikoui, was killed by a suicide bomber, along with 12 other soldiers, during the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. 

Nikoui was anticipating traveling back to the capital for a March 28 court date, but the top prosecutor in D.C. decided to drop the charges against him late Tuesday.

'[I am] so blessed. Extremely humbled and honored to have the love and support from so many people and other God Star families, as well as members of Congress,' Nikoui told DailyMail.com in reaction.

'Especially Darrell Issa and his team. Who told me from that night that, “we will fight for you!” Thank You Congressman Issa.'

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote to Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb yesterday asking for the charges to be dropped against the grieving father. 

Gold Star father Steve Nikoui was removed from President Joe Biden's State of the Union speech for shouting about his son's death in Afghanistan 

Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wrote to Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb yesterday asking for the charges to be dropped

Issa called Nikoui a man of 'kindness and integrity' whose actions were drive by an 'unwavering love of country and deep commitment to honoring the memory and sacrifices of his son.'

The congressman went on to say the charges for Nikoui could be considered 'disproportionate punishment' and urged the attorney general to drop them.

Nikoui told DailyMail.com last week that he had that heard 'nothing' from the Capitol police in the week since his arrest despite Republican calls for his charges to be dropped. 

'I was just strongly convicted by the Holy Spirit to stand up and say that after sitting there for almost an hour of just total disrespect to us. He knew that there were other Gold Star family members, he could of at least just said their names and this would have been done.'

He called it 'devastating' that Biden instead mentioned the name of murdered Georgia student Laken Riley, which he confused with 'Lincoln,' but not the soldiers killed at Abbey Gate.

'I've waited three years, I paid $3,000...and I've traveled 3,000 miles just to finally hear my son's name in the State of the Union,' he added. 

Nikoui said the financial drain is starting to take a toll on the Gold Star families who have spent thousands of dollars of their own money to keep pushing for accountability from the Biden administration. 

'We've all spent thousands of dollars, that trip to the State of the Union - what a kick in my a**,' he told DailyMail.com. 

'That cost me three grand, hotels are really expensive. And then getting thrown into jail.'

Fellow Gold Star father Darin Hoover called Nikoui's arrest 'ludicrous' that he was singled out among other hecklers during the State of the Union.

'The optics don't look good, that's for damn sure,' he told DailyMail.com. 

Video posted of Nikoui after the State of the Union around 1:00 a.m. shows him entering an Irish pub to loud applause after the lawmaker who brought him, Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., helped secure his release. 

The 51-year-old was quickly removed from the public gallery and placed in handcuffs

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20, of Norco, Calif. - one of 13 service members who were killed during the disastrous 2021 exit from Afghanistan 

Shortly after the State of the Union DailyMail.com asked Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., a former Army Green Beret, his reaction to Nikoui's arrest. 

'That's shameful if he was arrested,' Waltz said. 'I was with the all of the Gold star families just before the speech.' 

Waltz himself invited Gold Star mother Paula Knauss, who similarly lost her son, Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, after the blast at the Afghanistan airport.

Knauss said she 'almost got kicked out myself' during the speech because she was furious with Biden for failing to say her son's name and apologize for the disastrous exit from Afghanistan. 

'He has yet to say that 13 names, whether to them privately, publicly, in a speech anywhere. It's infuriating,' Waltz said.