State of the Union circus: Biden interrupted by Gold Star father, disrespects Laken Riley

Analysis by WorldTribune Staff, March 8, 2024

In all of his State of the Union addresses, Joe Biden has yet to say the names of the 13 U.S. military personnel who died as the result of his botched withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Thursday night, the 81-year-old Biden showed that even when he does say the name of a slain American, he gets it wrong.

Steve Nikoui, the father of Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, who was killed in the Kabul airport terror attack during Biden’s surrender to the Taliban, was arrested Thursday night after shouting “Abbey Gate” and “13 Marines” during Biden’s address.

“Abbey Gate” is a reference to the location at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul of the Aug. 26, 2021 terror bombing by ISIS-K that killed 13 U.S. service members and 170 Afghan civilians.

Nikoui, an invited guest of Florida Republican Rep. Brian Mast at Thursday’s SOTU, spoke out after Biden had declared: “America is safer today than when I took office.”

Nikoui was seen being escorted out of the galley. According to Capitol Police, Nikoui was charged with a misdemeanor of “crowding, obstructing or incommoding,” carrying a fine of up to $500 and 90 days in prison. He was released early Friday morning.

Mast posted on X after the arrest, “The Sergeant at Arms is holding my State of the Union guest for yelling at POTUS in protest because his son was killed in action at the Abbey Gate due to Biden’s incompetence. So much for the right to petition our government for the redress of grievances.”

Mast continued, “To this day, no Biden official has been dismissed or demoted as a result of the deadly and catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. I will not stop until the Biden Administration is HELD ACCOUNTABLE for its disastrous policies.”

The names of the 13 Americans killed during Biden’s botched withdrawal are:

Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, 25
Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, 23
Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, 31
Cpl. Hunter Lopez, 22
Cpl. Daegan W. Page, 23
Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, 22
Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, 20
Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, 20
Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, 20
Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, 20
Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, 20
Navy Corpsman Maxton W. Soviak, 22
Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss, 23

Later in Biden’s address, Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene shouted at Biden, “What about Laken Riley? Say her name!”

Biden displayed a pin with the name Laken Riley and then proceeded to refer to her as “Lincoln” Riley.

Jose Ibarra, an illegal alien from Venezuela who was released into the U.S. courtesy of Biden’s border policies, has been arrested for the murder of Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student.

“Lincoln Riley!” Biden responded to Greene. “An innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That’s right. But how many of thousands of people have been killed by illegals? To her parents, I say, my heart goes out to you, having lost children myself. I understand.”

House Republicans wore pins honoring Riley at the SOTU address, while Rep. Jim Banks of Indiana called on Biden, days before, to name Riley in his speech. Similarly, Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia left a seat empty in honor of Riley and her grieving friends and family.

On Thursday, only 37 House Democrats joined House Republicans to pass the “Laken Riley Act,” which would require the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to detain illegal aliens with charges or convictions for shoplifting, larceny, burglary, or theft. At the time of Riley’s murder, Ibarra was wanted on a bench warrant after failing to appear in court for shoplifting charges.

DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas refused to wear a Laken Riley pin at Thursday’s SOTU.

Meanwhile, the New York Post on Friday released a detailed account of how Biden’s policies opened the door for Ibarra to carry out the heinous crime he is accused of.

September 8, 2022: Ibarra is arrested by U.S. Border Patrol in El Paso, Texas, after illegally crossing the border. He is accompanied by his girlfriend, Layling Franco, and her 5-year-old son. After less than 24 hours, Ibarra is released on parole due to lack of detention capacity, according to ICE records seen by The Post. He gives his destination address in New York as a homeless shelter and is instructed to report to the agency in the city.

October 22, 2022: Ibarra is issued a date to check in with ICE on October 24, 2024, according to records provided to The Post.

April 6, 2023: ICE in New York reschedules Ibarra’s appointment, pushing it back further, to December 13, 2024. ICE does not have any notes indicating Ibarra ever checked in with the agency.

May 22, 2023: Ibarra files an asylum application and applies for a work permit. Franco previously told The Post that she and Ibarra “got married so we could join our asylum cases,” to increase their chances of success as a family unit. Franco said Ibarra worked for DoorDash, Uber Eats and a local New York City restaurant at this time.

August 31, 2023: Ibarra is arrested by the NYPD and charged with riding a gas-powered moped with Franco’s son on the back without any head protection or restraint for the child. He is released by the NYPD before ICE can issue a detainer for his arrest. His case with the NYPD is later sealed.

November 2023: Franco and Ibarra split and he moves to Athens, Georgia, where he meets up with his brother, Diego, 29. Diego had attempted to enter the country in April that year but was immediately deported. Less than a month later, he had a fight with border officers as he attempted to re-enter the country, his arrest report states. Despite a physical fight and attempting to bite an officer, Diego cut a deal with the feds and amazingly was allowed into the country with an ankle monitor. He promptly cut the device off in Littleton, Colorado, according to the report, then went to Georgia.

February 22, 2024: Promising nursing student Laken Riley fails to return home after going for a run near her campus.

February 23, 2024: Jose Ibarra is arrested and charged with concealing the death of another, false imprisonment, felony murder, malice murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery in connection with the death of Riley. Authorities use surveillance footage to put him at the crime scene, according to his arrest report.

March 2024: An arrest report for Diego Ibarra shows he has the distinctive tattoos of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, including a “five-point crown on the left side of his neck and a five-pointed stars on the right side of his neck,” according to documents filed Wednesday at the US Middle District of Georgia. Social media pictures show him posing with guns and throwing gang signs. Jose Ibarra is also listed as “an active member” of Tren de Aragua, ICE sources told The Post. Both men have yet to enter a plea for their respective cases.

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