Content creator says satirical videos excluded her from JD Vance event
A woman behind social media accounts satirizing Vice President JD Vance has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against President Donald Trump's administration, alleging officials excluded her from one of Vance's taxpayer-funded events in Maine because of her online content.
Amanda McGonigle created social media accounts under the username CatsOnACouch after an interview in which Vance criticized "childless cat ladies" resurfaced ahead of the 2024 presidential election. She had more than 1.9 million Instagram followers, 700,000 Facebook followers and 28,000 TikTok followers as of July 7.
Her account descriptions and several of her videos state that the purpose of the accounts is to have more followers than Vance.
The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, alleged that officials "attempted to justify their viewpoint discrimination by incorrectly telling Ms. McGonigle that the event was 'private.'" The alleged statement "reflects a practice of falsely claiming that official vice presidential events are private political events where those who hold opposing viewpoints may be excluded," according to the lawsuit.
The American Civil Liberties Union, which has taken on numerous First Amendment cases against the Trump administration, is representing McGonigle. The complaint lists Secret Service Director Sean Curran and Director of Presidential Advance John Hiller, as well as the president's executive office and the U.S. Secret Service as defendants.
The U.S. Secret Service told USA TODAY it does not comment "on pending or proposed litigation." Neither the White House nor Vance's office returned requests for comment.
Officials said 'we know where you stand,' according to complaint
The complaint centers on Vance's May 14 event in Bangor, Maine, in which the vice president spoke about the administration's efforts to combat fraud. Trump tapped Vance to lead the White House's Task Force to Eliminate Fraud in March.
McGonigle registered for the event in early May and "planned to participate as an audience member to express her disapproval" of Vance, according to the complaint. The lawsuit cited the ways McGonigle planned to protest, including "staying silent or booing while others clapped or cheered, smiling, frowning, crossing her arms or wearing clothing with political messages."
She received official confirmation, according to the complaint, and "complied with all guest guidance" from the president's executive office, including a prohibition on bags and purses, as well as signs and placards.
"However, when Ms. McGonigle was standing in line, armed Secret Service officers singled her out by name and excluded her from the event, telling her that 'we know where you stand,'" the complaint said.
McGonigle responded by saying "it is a cat account; this is silly," at which point officials said it was a private event, according to the complaint.
Both McGonigle and her friend were excluded from the event, the complaint said. McGonigle was also excluded from Vance's event in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 5, according to the lawsuit.
McGonigle calls matter 'absurd'
The complaint asked the court to declare that excluding McGonigle was viewpoint-based discrimination and retaliation in violation of the First Amendment. The lawsuit seeks to bar officials from engaging in such actions.
ACLU staff attorney Anahita Sotoohi described the Trump administration as being "really thin-skinned and completely unable to handle a joke" in an interview with USA TODAY. She placed McGonigle's complaint in the context of the administration's criticism of Jimmy Kimmel and actions against other content creators, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arresting comedian and protest singer Robby Roadsteamer in a giraffe costume during a demonstration.
Sotoohi reiterated that McGonigle's online content is protected by the First Amendment and noted that her work, which includes both satire and mutual aid efforts, has continued despite the conflict with the administration.
McGonigle called the matter "absurd" in an ACLU news release, saying the "government can't exclude me from official vice-presidential events just because I mock people in power on the internet."
"The Trump administration has routinely retaliated against people exercising their First Amendment rights, and this is just the latest example," McGonigle said. "But the First Amendment protects our right to criticize the government, and it's well within my rights to say that I think JD Vance is an unlikeable idiot."
BrieAnna Frank is a First Amendment reporter at USA TODAY. Reach her at bjfrank@usatoday.com.
USA TODAY's coverage of First Amendment issues is funded through a collaboration between the Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. Funders do not provide editorial input.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Content creator says satirical videos excluded her from JD Vance event
Reporting by BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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This story was originally published July 7, 2026 at 10:40 AM.