Amanda McGonigle
Amanda McGonigle | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1988-1989 |
| Occupations | Influencer, marketer, activist |
Amanda McGonigle (born 1988 or 1989), better known by her social media name Cats on a Couch, is an American social media influencer, activist, and marketing professional. She is best known for her politically-focused social media content. In July 2026, she sued U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, alleging First Amendment violations, after she was allegedly banned from his events due to her posts.
Biography
McGonigle is originally from Milton, Massachusetts.[1] At age 13, she interned at the Massachusetts State House.[2] She went on to earn a degree in marketing,[3] work as a Chief Revenue Officer at a software company and own her own marketing firm.[1]
She created an Instagram account titled CatsOnACouch[4] in the summer of 2024: she has stated the title comes from the combination of U.S. Vice President JD Vance's comments regarding "childless cat ladies" and the hoax regarding his couch.[5] She has stated that the goal of her accounts was to have more followers than Vance[6] and to "troll him mercilessly every single day".[7] She also features social justice and mutual aid on her posts.[8]
She organized and led a protest, dubbed "Meowtucket", against Vance's visit to Nantucket for a Republican National Committee meeting in 2025.[9][10][5]
In 2026, she attempted to attend a Vance event at the Bangor International Airport, which she had registered for, in order to "tell him to his face that I think they're hurting our country and hurting our black and brown communities and... queer youth". However, she was turned away at the door. She stated that this was because of her political leanings. She instead protested.[11] She then announced she would be suing Vance for what she has alleged constituted violations of the first amendment,[12] alleging that she was turned away due to her comments and viewpoints[13] from both this event and an additional event in Iowa.[14] This was announced in a statement by the ACLU that has been described as "pun-filled".[15]
She has stated that she has been in communication with the teams of Hakeem Jeffries and Cory Booker, among others.[3]
She moved to Falmouth, Massachusetts in 2019, and ran for School Committee in 2025. She didn't win, but filed forms to run again in 2026.[1] She also co-wrote a children's book about kindness and inclusion with her 10-year-old daughter.[16]
References
- 1 2 3 Nelson, Katie (2026-03-27). "Amanda McGonigle Back In The Race For School Committee". CapeNews.net. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ "Amanda McGonigle". Run For Something. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- 1 2 Ryan, Ashley; Daga, Saaya (2025-07-15). "Falmouth Resident's Social Campaign 'Cats On A Couch' Takes Aim At JD Vance". CapeNews.net. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Smith, Madi (2026-07-08). "Influencer suing Trump administration after she was barred from JD Vance's event in Bangor". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- 1 2 "Meet the Woman Who Greeted JD Vance in Nantucket With a Giant Protest". Jezebel. 2025-07-24. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Frank, BrieAnna J. "Content creator says satirical videos excluded her from JD Vance event". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Dunbar, Marina (2026-07-08). "Popular Instagram creator sues JD Vance after she was allegedly banned from event". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Cooper, Alex (2026-07-08). "Cats On A Couch Instagram Creator Sues Over Alleged Free Speech Violations After Being Barred From JD Vance Event - GO Magazine". Go Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ ""Meowtucket" - Protests Planned For Vice President JD Vance's Visit…". Nantucket Current. 2025-07-20. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Prichard, Matt (2025-07-22). "VP Vance in Nantucket for fundraiser, drawing protests". NBC Boston. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Smith, Madi (2026-05-14). "Dozens of protestors gathered in opposition to Vice President JD Vance's visit to Bangor Thursday". Maine Public. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Tapper, Jake. CatsOnACouch founder explains why she's suing Vice-President JD Vance | CNN. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Coffey, Denise. "Cape Cod cat account owner with 1.9M followers sues the Secret Service". Cape Cod Times. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Durkee, Alison. "Trump Administration Violated Anti-JD Vance Creator's First Amendment Rights, She Claims". Forbes. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
- ↑ Raymond, Nate (July 7, 2026). "'CatsOnACouch' Instagram account owner sues over exclusion from VP Vance event". Reuters.
- ↑ O’brien, Alexandra (2026-06-19). "Mother-Daughter Duo Publishes Children's Book Celebrating Kindness, Inclusion". CapeNews.net. Retrieved 2026-07-22.