Charges against Steve Nikoui, the Gold Star father who was arrested for disrupting President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on March 7, have been dropped. Per Fox News, Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb dropped the charges on Tuesday after significant backlash and criticism of the move.

While confirming the news, the AG’s office said that it is typical to not move forward with charges brought against protesters.

Nikoui, the father of Kareem Nikoui, who was one of 13 troop members killed in a suicide bombing during the Biden administration’s botched withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, interrupted Biden’s State of the Union speech. As the president spoke about murder rates, Nikoui shouted, “Abbey Gate! Kareem Nikoui! Second Battalion, First Marines!”

Authorities approached him to shut him up and escort him away from the chamber. He was then charged with crowding, obstructing and incommoding, a misdemeanor charge that carries a 90-day imprisonment or a fine of up to $500.

Since Nikouis’ arrest, calls have been made for the charges against him to be dropped, one of the most recent being a letter written by Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) to Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas.

Requesting for the charges against Nikoui to be dropped, Issa wrote, “Mr. Nikoui’s arrest for emotionally expressing his grief and seeking acknowledgment for his son’s sacrifice during the State of the Union – where he called out, ‘Abbey Gate! Kareem Nikoui! Second Battalion, First Marines!’ – highlighted a profound disconnect between the sacrifices made by our service members and the recognition they deserve.”

“Though he interrupted the event, what Mr. Nikoui voiced out loud was a cry for the acknowledgment of the loss endured by the families of the 13 who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country,” the letter added.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL), who invited Nikoui to the House Galleries, also advocated for his release in a tweet to X, in which he wrote, “Steve Nikoui, the father of fallen Marine LCpl. Kareem Nikoui, was my guest to #SOTU2024. He was arrested because he cried out to @JoeBiden to remember his son. Joe Biden has never honored those killed at the Abby Gate and still hails the catastrophic withdrawal as a success!”