Additional Coverage:
- ‘Cat lady’ files lawsuit after she was denied entry to taxpayer-funded JD Vance event by secret service (irishstar.com)
A Maine woman known for her popular cat-themed Instagram account has been barred from attending a taxpayer-funded event featuring Vice President Kamala Harris and Senator JD Vance, sparking a legal battle over free speech rights.
Amanda McGonigle, who runs the CatsonaCouch account with nearly two million followers, says she was turned away by Secret Service agents at a May event in Bangor, Maine. According to McGonigle, agents recognized her and told her, “We know where you stand,” before denying her entry despite her having registered and received confirmation.
McGonigle’s account frequently posts memes critical of Senator Vance and the Trump administration, and she believes her exclusion amounts to retaliation for exercising her First Amendment rights. “They called me out by name and pulled me out of line,” she said in a video statement. “When I asked why, they said it was a private event and implied it was because of my political views.”
The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit on McGonigle’s behalf against the Executive Office of the President and the Secret Service, accusing them of viewpoint discrimination and infringing on her constitutional rights. The complaint also references a similar incident at another event in Des Moines, Iowa, where McGonigle registered but did not receive confirmation while others did.
“It’s absurd that the Secret Service is wasting their time monitoring a satirical cat account on social media,” McGonigle said. “The government can’t exclude me from official vice-presidential events just because I mock people in power online.”
Requests for comment from the White House and Senator Vance’s office have not been returned. The Secret Service declined to comment, citing ongoing litigation.
This case highlights ongoing tensions over free speech and government transparency at political events, as well as the reach of social media satire in modern political discourse.