A Nebraska state senator captured on video removing portraits of America’s Founders from a hallway in the state Capitol is defending her actions.
Capitol security footage shows Democratic State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh taking down portraits from an exhibit marking the 250th anniversary of America’s founding.
The display, provided by conservative nonprofit PragerU, featured images of signers of the Declaration of Independence and notable women in American history, according to Gov. Jim Pillen, who sharply criticized Cavanaugh’s actions.
“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 told KETV7 Omaha that she removed the portraits because she believed the exhibit violated State Capitol rules and had not received proper approval.
She cited Rule 4.07, which generally limits displays to the first-floor rotunda for one week and prohibits leafleting inside 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, denying that her actions were political. “I will say that I know the picture that he tweeted is not one of the ones that I took down, because I saw it in a different hallway.”
The exhibit, provided by conservative nonprofit PragerU, featured images of signers of the Declaration of Independence and prominent women in American history.
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 had been placed, according to the Nebraska Examiner.
The portraits were returned by 3 p.m. Wednesday, the report said.
The State Patrol said Wednesday night that no citation was issued and that there was no apparent damage to the artwork. The posters were returned to the Capitol Commission, according to the report.
The progressive lawmaker later told the Lincoln Journal Star that she was careful not to damage the artwork and contacted the Nebraska State Patrol to inform them where the portraits were located.
Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh is pictured in the Nebraska Legislature on March 13, 2023.
After PragerU’s X account shared video of the incident, the post drew more than 1 million views by Thursday.
“An elected public servant violating freedom of speech, civil discourse and — most importantly — a unified attempt to celebrate our shared history. Shameful, disappointing, dangerous,” PragerU Kids host Jill Simonian wrote in a post on X.
“What the hell?” Fox News political analyst Guy Benson wrote.
Several replies to PragerU’s post referenced Cavanaugh’s past protests in the Legislature, including chanting from the Senate floor in 2023 during debate over transgender-related legislation.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cavanaugh’s office for comment.
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit told Fox News Digital that America’s 250th anniversary “should be an opportunity for all of us to rediscover our shared history and to reengage our shared principles.”
“It’s too bad a radical politician in America’s heartland began the year aimed at dividing us,” Streit said. “As for PragerU, we’re focused on uniting the country around the shared values back up on display in the Nebraska State Capitol.”
