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Iowa Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Des Moines Register and pollster
An Iowa District Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against pollster J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register. The lawsuit alleged that a November 2024 pre-election poll, which showed Kamala Harris leading Trump by 3 percentage points, violated Iowa’s consumer fraud laws and was a deliberate attempt to mislead voters.
Judge Scott Beattie ruled that the poll and its subsequent media coverage are constitutionally protected political speech under the First Amendment, rather than a commercial product subject to consumer fraud statutes. Beattie noted that allowing such claims to proceed could create a chilling effect on public debate and reporting. The dismissal was made with prejudice, meaning the case cannot be refiled in state court.
Trump, joined by Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former state Senator Brad Zaun, argued the poll was fraudulent. Selzer and the newspaper’s parent company, Gannett, maintained that polling is a social science and not a guarantee of election outcomes. A spokesperson for Trump indicated the legal team intends to appeal the decision to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Entities
Des Moines Register · Donald Trump · Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression · Gannett · J. Ann Selzer · Scott Beattie · Scott J. Beattie · The Des Moines Register
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 2 SOURCES] A spokesperson for Donald Trump announced plans to appeal the decision to the Iowa Supreme Court. firstamendmentwatch.org · www.kaaltv.com
- [● 5 SOURCES] Donald Trump ultimately won Iowa in the 2024 election by a margin of 13 to 16 percentage points. www.dagens.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · world-today-journal.com · 24-ore.com · littlevillagemag.com
- [● 13 SOURCES] The 2024 Iowa poll and its subsequent media coverage are protected political speech under the First Amendment. www.dagens.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · world-today-journal.com · firstamendmentwatch.org · www.kaaltv.com · +8 more
- [● 13 SOURCES] The lawsuit attempted to turn protected First Amendment speech into civil liability. www.dagens.com · newsfactsnetwork.com · world-today-journal.com · firstamendmentwatch.org · www.kaaltv.com · +8 more
- [● 6 SOURCES] The lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice, preventing the plaintiffs from refiling the same claims in state court. newsfactsnetwork.com · abc17news.com · krdo.com · localnews8.com · kesq.com · +1 more
- [● 5 SOURCES] The disputed poll showed Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by 3 percentage points in Iowa. newsfactsnetwork.com · world-today-journal.com · 24-ore.com · littlevillagemag.com · abc17news.com
- [● 6 SOURCES] Donald Trump argued that the November 2024 poll was deceptive and violated Iowa consumer fraud laws. newsfactsnetwork.com · world-today-journal.com · firstamendmentwatch.org · www.kaaltv.com · krmg.com · +1 more
- [● 4 SOURCES] Pollster J. Ann Selzer stated that polling is a social science and cannot guarantee election outcomes. newsfactsnetwork.com · firstamendmentwatch.org · www.kaaltv.com · krmg.com