Secret Service, Trump White House barred JD Vance critic from Bangor event over her online criticism, lawsuit alleges

On May 14, 2026, Vice President JD Vance held a publicly advertised government event at Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine, publicizing the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud that he chairs. Amanda McGonigle — creator of the @CatsOnACouch social media accounts, which mock Vance and have more than 2.1 million Instagram followers — had registered for the event through an Executive Office of the President link and received official confirmation and guest guidance carrying the seal of the Office of the Vice President. While she stood in the registration line, five officials, including two armed U.S. Secret Service agents, approached her, addressed her by name, and denied her entry, telling her "we know where you stand," according to her sworn declaration; nearby attendees wearing clothing supportive of the administration were allowed inside, she said.

McGonigle had also been denied confirmation to attend an earlier Vance event in Des Moines, Iowa, on May 5, 2026, after event organizers sent attendance confirmation to other registrants but not to her. On July 7, 2026, the ACLU of Maine and the national ACLU sued on her behalf in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, naming Secret Service Director Sean M. Curran and Office of Presidential Advance Director John Hiller in their official capacities, along with the Executive Office of the President and the U.S. Secret Service, and alleging First Amendment retaliation and viewpoint discrimination. The complaint states that Hiller's Office of Presidential Advance coordinates audience registration and attendance at vice-presidential events nationwide, and that the Secret Service, under Curran, implements that office's practices regarding who is admitted.

The Secret Service has disputed that its access decisions turn on attendees' political views, saying its role is limited to security and that it does not screen attendees based on political opinions or protected speech. As of McGonigle's mid-August court filing, the government had not investigated her account of the Bangor exclusion or otherwise responded to her allegations in court.

Updates

2026-08-24 — Government admitted McGonigle to Brewer event, mooting injunction request [5, 6, 7]

Ahead of another Vance event in Brewer, Maine, McGonigle sought a preliminary injunction guaranteeing her admission. The government told the court she would be allowed to attend and treated like any other registered member of the public; a federal judge denied the injunction as an unnecessary "advisory opinion" given that assurance, and McGonigle attended the Brewer event without interference. Her underlying First Amendment lawsuit over the Bangor exclusion remains pending.