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“The government simply can’t retaliate against you for your political viewpoint.”
JD Vance delivers remarks on the Trump administration’s anti-fraud initiatives in Milwaukee on July 8.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
The ACLU of Maine is suing the Trump administration, alleging federal officials violated the First Amendment by barring a local political influencer known for mocking Vice President JD Vance online from attending one of his events.
“I’m hoping that the court sees that this is a clear violation of the First Amendment [and] that I was discriminated against for my viewpoints and for being a vocal critic of the administration,” Amanda McGonigle, a Falmouth resident and local activist, told Boston.com.
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Cat account with 1 million followers to protest JD Vance’s Nantucket fundraiser
McGonigle runs the political commentary Instagram account @catsonacouch, which began in August 2024 with the goal of surpassing Vance’s follower count as a then-senator. McGonigle’s account has since grown into an online activism community with more than 2.1 million followers.
The nationwide ACLU and the ACLU of Maine filed a lawsuit July 7 against the U.S. Secret Service and the Executive Office of the President, arguing the government unlawfully excluded McGonigle from a taxpayer-funded event because of her political views.
“It seems very clear that she wasn’t allowed to attend this public taxpayer-funded event because of her political viewpoint and because she mocks the vice president,” ACLU Maine staff attorney Anahita Sotoohi told Boston.com. “In our view, that becomes a First Amendment violation because the government simply can’t retaliate against you for your political viewpoint.”
The lawsuit stems from a May 14 event in Bangor, Maine, where Vance delivered remarks about the administration’s effort to combat fraud.
McGonigle registered for the event, received confirmation, and complied with instructions from the Executive Office of the President. She planned to attend to express her disapproval for Vance, according to the complaint.
But, while she was waiting in line, Secret Service agents allegedly stopped her from entering.
“We know where you stand,” an agent told McGonigle, per the complaint.
McGonigle then responded, “It is a cat account; this is silly,” before officials told her the event was “private,” the complaint states.
A friend waiting in line with McGonigle allegedly was also denied entry. McGonigle then went to protest across the street from the event instead, she said.
“If we’re successful, this will ensure that the government cannot keep people out of public events simply because it doesn’t like what they are saying,” Sotoohi said.
Boston.com has reached out to the White House, Secret Service, and Vance’s communications team for comment.
McGonigle said she was surprised before becoming frustrated that the agents had singled her out.
“The administration has long talked about people being able to stand firmly within their rights, whether it’s the First Amendment or the Second Amendment or whatever it is,” she said. “To be so blatantly singled out for my First Amendment rights was kind of wild.”
The Bangor incident was not the first time McGonigle was prevented from attending an official Vance event, she says.
The lawsuit alleges she registered for a May 5 event in Des Moines, Iowa. Other attendees received confirmation emails with event details, but McGonigle said she never received hers.
McGonigle said she plans to continue attending Vance’s official events as he travels the country, despite what the lawsuit describes as a “credible threat” that she could again be excluded.
“I’m not one of those people that sits behind a keyboard and only says the things that I want to say online. I have always said, ‘If I had the opportunity to say something to JD Vance in person, I would do that,’” McGonigle said. “I very much intend to attend JD Vance events, and with my presence, essentially troll that man in person.”
McGonigle took to social media following the encounter in Bangor and shared the lawsuit with her followers.
“In reality, I’m just a person. I’m a mom. Yes, I do content creation, but that’s not even my full-time job. But I’m standing up for my rights and what I believe in,” she said. “My hope is that they feel empowered to stand up for varying degrees of injustices or infringements on their rights as well.”
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