State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh removed portraits from a PragerU exhibit in the Nebraska State Capitol, saying the display violated Capitol rules under Rule 4.07. The portraits, part of a 250th-anniversary exhibit, were returned the same day and the Nebraska State Patrol reported no citation or apparent damage. The video of the removal received more than one million views and drew criticism from the governor and conservative commentators, while Cavanaugh denied a political motive.
Nebraska Senator Says She Removed PragerU Portraits Over Rule Violation; Gov. Pillen, Critics Blast Action
State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh defended removing a series of portraits from a hallway in the Nebraska State Capitol that were part of a PragerU exhibit marking the nation's 250th anniversary. Security footage released by PragerU showed the Democratic senator taking down the images, which included signers of the Declaration of Independence and notable women from American history.
Cavanaugh told local station KETV7 Omaha that she removed the portraits because she believed they violated State Capitol rules and had not been authorized for that location. She cited Rule 4.07, which generally limits timed displays to the first-floor rotunda and restricts leafleting and unauthorized exhibits on Capitol 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 the action was politically motivated. According to reports, she said she tried not to damage the artwork and notified the Nebraska State Patrol about where the posters had been placed.
Timeline And Official Response
Gov. Jim Pillen criticized the action on X, calling it "a shameful and selfish bad example" and urging unity during the nation's 250th anniversary celebrations. PragerU posted the security video to X, where it had amassed more than one million views by Thursday and drew widespread comment.
The Nebraska State Patrol later reported that no citation was issued and there was no "apparent damage" to the portraits; the posters were returned to the Capitol Commission by about 3 p.m. on the same day.
Reaction And Context
The video prompted sharp criticism from conservative commentators. PragerU Kids host Jill Simonian called the removal a violation of freedom of speech and civil discourse, and Fox News analyst Guy Benson questioned the senator's actions. Replies to PragerU's post also referenced Cavanaugh's previous protests in the Legislature, including chanting during a 2023 debate on transgender-related legislation.
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit told Fox News Digital the 250th anniversary should be an opportunity to "rediscover our shared history and reengage our shared principles," and said the organization remains focused on uniting people around those values.
Fox News Digital reached out to Cavanaugh's office for further comment. The incident highlights an unusual clash in the Nebraska Capitol between rules enforcement and partisan criticism during a milestone national observance.
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