We're suing the federal government after officials blocked our client from a public event in Bangor simply for criticizing Vice President Vance online.
Just because an elected official can't take a joke doesn't mean the government can retaliate against people for making them or try to silence people for exercising their First Amendment rights. Yet that is exactly what happened when armed Secret Service agents refused to allow Amanda McGonigle into an official event held by the vice president in Bangor.
Ms. McGonigle operates social media accounts under the username "CatsOnACouch" – a reference to Vance's highly publicized remark about "childless cat ladies." She uses humor to share political news with her 1.9 million followers and support causes that are important to her, such as animal welfare and mutual aid for communities facing violence from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
This is just one example of the Trump administration's intense crackdown on our First Amendment rights – from attempts to deport protesters, surveil critics, and target comedians like Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.
In early May 2026, Ms. McGonigle registered to attend a government-sponsored event in Bangor featuring the vice president. But when she was standing in line with other members of the public, armed Secret Service agents and other officials targeted her by name, ejected her from the line, and denied her entry. The agents explicitly referenced her viewpoints and criticism of the administration as the reason for excluding her, telling her, "We know where you stand."
That's unconstitutional. The First Amendment prohibits government officials from retaliating against people for exercising their right to free speech. The government can't exclude Ms. McGonigle from an official government event because she criticized the vice president or his policies.
A few key things make it clear that this event was an official government event that Ms. McGonigle had every right to attend:
- The general public was invited to register to attend
- The registration details were provided by the Executive Office of the President
- The vice president was attending the event to promote an official Trump administration initiative
- Taxpayer funds were used to publicize the event
All of this makes it clear that the event was not a private campaign event – and it wasn't the first time the administration had denied Ms. McGonigle access. Before a similar event on May 5 in Des Moines, Iowa, the government selectively withheld guest guidance from Amanda, despite providing such details to others.
This is just one example of the Trump administration's intense crackdown on our First Amendment rights. This administration has detained and attempted to deport protesters, curtailed press freedoms, surveilled and retaliated against people who criticize them, and used agencies like the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to intimidate comedians such as Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.
No matter who is in power, the Constitution protects our right to publicly joke, mock, insult, and dissent. It's a testament to the power of speech, and the power of laughter, that Vance is attempting to silence a cat-themed social media account.
That's why we're suing on Ms. McGonigle's behalf. The Constitution protects every person's freedom of speech, even when that speech is critical, unpopular, or contains cat jokes that certain politicians don't like.