In December 2023, Michael Cassidy, a former Navy pilot and Mississippi Republican candidate, sparked controversy by decapitating a goat-headed statue of Baphomet displayed by the local Satanic Temple at the Iowa State Capitol. Cassidy claimed he was “offended” by the “blasphemous statue” and acted out of “righteous indignation,” taking the head and placing it in a garbage bag before reporting to security. He received a citation for his actions.

Mortimer Adramelech, a minister with the Satanic Temple of Iowa, defended the group’s right to display the statue under the First Amendment, emphasizing equal rights for all religions. Cassidy faced felony charges for third-degree criminal mischief under Iowa’s hate crime laws, but by May 2024, these charges were reduced to a misdemeanor, resulting in a fine with no jail time. He tweeted, “Not today, Satan.”

Public opinion was sharply divided; some condemned his actions as a hate crime, while others praised his stand against what they viewed as dark symbolism. Cassidy noted the mixed reactions, asserting that some recognized the moral degradation in society.