ARRESTS, HECKLES, SOTU Review: Congress Goes British Over Laken Riley Murder, Others

Biden and Congress gave each other a jolly good scrap last night. It was almost bloody British of them. 

The planned events in Biden’s State of The Union Address (SOTU) were mostly boring, the unplanned events were where all the action happened.  

Congress has gotten rowdier in recent years. Gone are the days when Joe Wilson yelled “You lie” at Obama during his State of The Union and everyone in Congress and the media fainted like Victorian virgins. 

That is just a Wednesday in Parliament.

In case you were unaware, in Britain, Parliament meets once a week to be rude to each other. It is called Prime Minister’s Question Time, and it is often very good T.V. 

It is here that elected officials exchange insults, jokes, and barbs, and hold each other accountable publically. It is here that Boris Johnson called Keir Starmer “Captain Crasheroonie Snoozefest” in response to attacks over his record and Thatcher gave her famous “handbaggings”. 

Last night, the greatest example of this real-time accountability came from Majorie Taylor Greene (MTG). But for MTG, Laken Riley’s name would not have been mentioned in the President’s address. 

(Video credits; MTG)

President Biden had previously refused to mention Riley’s name after she was allegedly killed in cold blood by an illegal immigrant several weeks ago. Her death garnered national media attention and became a cause celebre amongst conservatives who argue this murder demonstrates the incompetence of the Biden Administration with immigration. 

MTG confronted Biden about the killing on the floor of Congress before Biden’s speech began. She slipped him the Laken Riley pin that Biden would brandish from the podium. 

Later, the Georgia representative heckled the President until he addressed the issue–– something he obviously did not intend to do in his prepared remarks. This exchange provoked Biden to reveal he did not know how to pronounce “Lincoln Riley[’s]” name and triggered an uncharacteristic acknowledgment that “thousands of Americans” have been killed by “illegal[s].” 

This was another masterful manipulation of the machinery of government and media on the part of Greene.  

Without her–– and the changing nature of the State of The Union–– this type of accountability could not have happened. 

Throughout the evening, Democrats cheered on the President and heckled Republicans who booed various initiatives. Biden engaged hecklers and supporters directly, although in a somewhat wobbly fashion, and fully participated in the many exchanges. 

Given the universality of the heckling and positive locutions from members of Congress, it is outrageous that one Representative’s guest Steve Nikouli was arrested for engaging the president.  

Nikouli is the father of Kareem Nikouli, an American soldier who was killed during Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. “Abbey Gate” Nikouli shouted at the president, referencing the location of his son’s death from a terror bombing. 

Nikouli was swiftly ejected from the chamber and charged with misdemeanor obstruction of a government proceeding. 

(Source: End Wokeness, Twitter)

An image of Nikouli, in what appears to be handcuffs, circulated widely online.

This treatment of a Goldstar parent is detestable. Nikouli can not be reasonably construed as interrupting a government proceeding when his behavior was widely reflected by members of Congress from both parties.

Further, Nikouli’s shouting was not so persistent or so loud as to constitute a heckler’s veto. Biden could still be heard and the interruption lasted but a few seconds.

The president had every opportunity–– and microphone–– to respond and chose not to.

Further still, Biden has thus far refused meetings with families of fallen soldiers who were killed in that bombing in Kabul. This was Nikouli’s only opportunity to confront the president over his son’s death and hold the commander-in-chief accountable.

One should hope the charges against Nikouli will dropped immediately.

Perhaps the greatest reason we should welcome the increasingly British style of discourse during the State of The Union is that the official response from the party in opposition is always so lame.

There is a curse with the SOTU response. For whatever reason, it seems to kill the career of whatever up-and-comer the response is charged to.

This year, freshman Senator Katie Britt of Alabama drew the black bean.

Britt’s response seemed shaky and emotional. Otherwise, like all that has proceeded her, it was not memorable.

Not since Marco Rubio took a sip of water during the response has anything memorable happened.

No one will remember this response. It will have no effect. However, people will remember the heckles and Biden’s retorts.

Aside from the heckles, there were some funny moments in the event.

The Supreme Court looked positively bored. Justice Thomas and Alito did not even show up. Justice Kagan, probably thinking about softball, seemed the most distracted.

Just before Biden assumed the podium, Vice President Kamala Harris and House Speaker Mike Johnson had the appearance of concerned parents waiting for their kids to get some from school to tell them the dog died or grandma was sucked out of a Boeing 747.

Senator Lankford of Oklahoma, during an exchange on the recent, doomed, immigration bill, gave the slightly prissy, distant, and suppressed-dramatic facial expressions of a male flight attendant who just found out his “roommate” Bruce went to see Liza on Broadway with another man.

When Lankford mouths “It’s true,” one gets the sense he is just now realizing his suspicions are correct–– Bruce has been visiting the senate chambers with the interns.

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