A Nebraska state senator is defending her decision to remove portraits of America’s Founding Fathers from a hallway in the state Capitol after security footage of the incident ignited backlash online and criticism from the governor.
Democratic State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh was captured on Capitol security video taking down portraits that were part of an exhibit marking the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. The display, provided by conservative nonprofit PragerU, featured images of signers of the Declaration of Independence and prominent women in American history, according to Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen.
Pillen blasted the lawmaker’s actions, calling them divisive at a moment meant to unite Americans around their shared history.
“Celebrating America during our 250th year should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship,” Pillen wrote in a post on X. “I am disappointed in this shameful and selfish bad example.”
Cavanaugh, however, denied that her motivations were political. In an interview with KETV7 Omaha, she said she removed the portraits because she believed the display “violated Capitol rules” and had not been properly approved. She cited Rule 4.07, which generally limits displays to the first-floor rotunda for a one-week period and prohibits leafleting within the Capitol or on its grounds.
“I don’t even know what the pictures were. I wasn’t really paying attention as I was taking them down. I just took them down,” Cavanaugh said. “I will say that I know that the picture that he tweeted is not one of the ones that I took down, because I saw it in a different hallway.”
The progressive lawmaker later told the Lincoln Journal Star that she took care not to damage the artwork and contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to inform them where the portraits could be found. According to the Nebraska Examiner, the portraits were returned to their display locations by 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The Nebraska State Patrol said no citation was issued and that there was no apparent damage to the artwork. The posters were returned to the Capitol Commission, the report said.
Despite Cavanaugh’s explanation, the incident drew widespread attention after PragerU shared the surveillance footage on X, where it surpassed 1 million views by Thursday. Critics accused the senator of targeting a patriotic display and stifling free expression.
“An elected public servant violating freedom of speech, civil discourse and (most importantly) a unified attempt to celebrate our shared history,” PragerU Kids host Jill Simonian wrote. “Shameful, disappointing, dangerous.”
Fox News political analyst Guy Benson reacted simply: “What the hell?”
Online commenters also resurfaced Cavanaugh’s past confrontations in the Nebraska Legislature, including her protests and chants from the Senate floor in 2023 during debate over transgender-related legislation.
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit said the episode underscored broader cultural tensions surrounding American history and civic education.
“America’s 250th year should be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover our shared history and to reengage our shared principles,” Streit told Fox News Digital. “It’s too bad a radical politician in America’s heartland begun the year aimed at dividing us.”
Cavanaugh’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Seriously,there are some questions about today’s voters,are they sane?
Democratic State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh removed the pictures, which it seems didn’t belong to the state, because she believed that whoever hung them up “violated Capitol rules” and had not been properly approved. Did she seek approval to take the, down or was this just the unilateral decision of “an entitled Dem” who thinks they can do whatever they want?