An online influencer with a penchant for criticizing and lampooning the Trump administration sued the federal government for blocking her from attending a public event where Vice President JD Vance was speaking.
Falmouth, Maine, resident Amanda McGonigle’s federal lawsuit accuses the U.S. Secret Service and the administration of violating her free-speech rights through retaliation and viewpoint discrimination.
McGonigle has routinely mocked Vance through her “CatsOnACouch” social media accounts, which she operates across numerous platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and Substack.
The idea stemmed from Vance’s 2021 claim that the nation is run by “a bunch of childless cat ladies who are miserable at their own lives and the choices that they’ve made and so they want to make the rest of the country miserable, too.”
The mission of “CatsOnACouch” began as an attempt to generate more followers than Vance on social media but has since grown to include opposition to inequality and racism, she explained in an Instagram post: “We’re holding this administration accountable for their abhorrent actions — and sharing cute pics of cats on couches, of course. Fascism and authoritarianism thrive in fear; you can’t be fearful if you’re laughing.”
“Fascism and authoritarianism thrive in fear; you can’t be fearful if you’re laughing.”
But the administration apparently didn’t find McGonigle’s perspective funny and in May prevented her from entering a government-sponsored event in Bangor for which she was registered.
“I got in line just like anyone else and from about 10 paces away five agents, including armed agents, called me out by name said I couldn’t come in, that it was a private event and they knew where I stood,” McGonigle said in an interview with CNN. “And at that point I wasn’t really going to argue with armed agents, so I did get out of line and then ultimately my next action was to call the ACLU.”
Amanda McGonigle
McGonigle said her plan was to voice her opposition to the administration during Vance’s speech; she had worn a T-shirt emblazoned with “JD Vance Cured My Imposter Syndrome.”
“In public forums like this there is supposed to be the ability to have equal and opposite viewpoints, and I saw plenty of people going in that would have been supporters, so I wanted to be a voice of dissent. It wasn’t like civil disobedience or anything like that,” she said.
Authorities at the scene actually referenced McGonigle’s political views in keeping her out of the event, according to the ACLU of Maine.
“When Ms. McGonigle arrived, armed Secret Service agents and other government officials singled her out by name and refused her entry. They explicitly cited her viewpoints and criticism of the administration as the reason for excluding her, stating, ‘We know where you stand,’” the organization said. “The First Amendment protects every person’s freedom of speech, even if that speech is critical, unpopular or cat-themed jokes about a vice president.”
The attempt to suppress McGonigle’s voice continues the administration’s plan for chilling free speech, the ACLU of Maine added. “This administration has detained and sought to deport protesters, curtailed press freedoms, retaliated against people for criticizing those in power, and used federal agencies like the FCC to intimidate comedians. Excluding Ms. McGonigle from a public event is the latest example in this disturbing pattern of trying to suppress dissent.”
The state chapter also has turned to the court of public opinion in the case with memes such as, “Ms. McGonigle’s satirical social media content is purr-tected speech,” and “Making fun of Vice President Vance is protected speech, whether he likes it or not.”
McGonigle is still at it, too, recently posting an image of Vance with the statement, “BREAKING: JD Vance struggles to get a coherent thought out while he’s distracted by cat lady lawsuit.”