A Democratic state senator in the United States has ignited a fierce political row after she was captured on surveillance footage smiling while removing a historical display celebrating the nation's upcoming 250th anniversary.
The Incident at the Nebraska State Capitol
Omaha representative Machaela Cavanaugh, 46, was filmed on Wednesday tearing down framed posters that had been installed outside her office in the Nebraska State Capitol building. The exhibition, part of the travelling Founders Museum created by the conservative educational group PragerU, was erected to mark America's semiquincentennial – the 250th year since its founding.
In an interview with local broadcaster WOWT, Cavanaugh stated she did not examine the content of the displays. "I didn’t read them, I didn’t look at them," she said. "If you ask me what ones I took down, I couldn’t tell you. I just took down the things that were on the wall in my hallway."
Conflicting Claims Over Capitol Display Rules
The senator claimed her actions were motivated by a rule that state senators are not permitted to display materials in the public hallways outside their offices. "I thought: 'Well, I’m not allowed to have things lining the hall of my office,'" Cavanaugh explained, adding that she tried to remove the items gently without causing damage and stacked them inside her office before notifying the state patrol.
However, the Nebraska Administrative Code does permit short-term displays within the capitol. The guidelines suggest they should typically last around one week and be "limited to the First Floor Rotunda." The PragerU exhibition, which consists of 82 paintings along a first-floor hallway, was scheduled to remain until approximately summertime, far exceeding the suggested one-week duration.
Cavanaugh also maintained she was unaware the display was being installed or that it was connected to the semiquincentennial celebrations, and said she does not know what PragerU is.
Conservative Backlash and Accusations
The response from conservative figures was swift and severe. PragerU CEO Marissa Streit condemned Cavanaugh's actions as 'anti-American'. Republican Governor Jim Pillen also publicly criticised the senator on social media platform X.
"Sadly, this morning several of those displays were ripped off the walls by State Senator Machaela Cavanaugh, infamous for filibustering the entire 2023 legislative session to protect sex-change surgeries on kids," Pillen wrote. He added that celebrating the nation's anniversary "should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship," calling her behaviour a "shameful and selfish bad example."
Controversy Surrounding the PragerU Exhibition
The exhibition itself has been a source of controversy. The Founders Museum, which has received endorsement from the White House, features portraits of founding fathers, signers of the Declaration of Independence, figures like Betsy Ross, and depicts events such as the Boston Tea Party.
Critics from the left have accused the display of blurring history, noting its use of AI-generated images and explanatory videos. PragerU confirmed there are 40 AI-generated short videos intended to bring historical figures to life, created in collaboration with the White House. In one video, a representation of John Adams states, "Facts do not care about your feelings," a phrase popularised by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro.
The White House defended the use of AI, telling NPR it was employed so that "these people, places and events come to life, making history engaging to Americans across the country."
The incident highlights the deep partisan divides in US politics, where even the commemoration of national history can become a flashpoint for conflict over rules, representation, and ideological interpretation.
