Nebraska State Sen. Machaela Cavanaugh (D) was caught on camera tearing down a PragerU historical exhibit from the walls at the state capitol.
After receiving backlash on social media, the Democrat state senator told a local news outlet that she didn’t know what she was doing, insisting that she just saw material on the walls outside her office and tore it down, having no idea what the signage represented.
The conservative organization shared video footage of Sen. Cavanaugh ripping down its Founders Museum exhibit at Nebraska’s state capitol on Wednesday.
Watch Below:
“Why would an elected official take a tribute to American history off the wall of the capitol?” PragerU asked in a follow-up X post, sharing images from its exhibit, which included writer Phillis Wheatley, the first African-American author of a published book of poetry.
The conservative organization’s Founders Museum exhibit, in partnership with the White House, celebrates the 250th anniversary of the United States and features portraits of Founding Fathers, among other historical figures, as well as key events in the American Revolution.
Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) reacted to the incident, calling Sen. Cavanaugh’s actions “shameful” and a “selfish bad example” for the public.
“Nebraska’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday includes showcasing historical figures and events in our most important public space, our beautiful State Capitol,” Pillen explained Wednesday in an X post.
“These include Declaration of Independence signers and prominent women in American history, among others,” the governor continued.
“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 added.
The governor went on to assert, “Celebrating America during our 250th year should be a moment of unity and patriotism, not divisiveness and destructive partisanship.”
“I am disappointed in this shameful and selfish bad example,” Pillen concluded.
PragerU CEO Marissa Streit responded to the governor’s post, asking, “Is it possible that a Nebraska state senator vandalized the Signers exhibit at the Capitol? If so, why would an elected official act in such an anti-American way?”
The PragerU exhibit is expected to remain on display at the Nebraska state capitol throughout the summer, according to a report by KOLN.
Cavanaugh told the outlet that she “wasn’t aware” the exhibit was being put up this week, nor of its relation to America’s 250th anniversary.
She also suggested that — because of the exhibit being on display outside her office — it wasn’t “allowed” because people might assume the signage belonged to her.
“When I walked in this morning and saw these poster boards lining the hallway of my office, I thought, ‘Well, I’m not allowed to have things lining the hall of my office,'” the state senator said.
“I tried to take them down as gently as I could and not damage any of them, and I stacked them inside of my office and I let the state patrol know that they were there,” Cavanaugh added.
Cavanaugh insisted that she only tore down the material that was outside her office, adding that she didn’t even know what she was removing from the walls.
“I didn’t read them, I didn’t look at them,” she claimed. “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.”
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.