Iowa judge dismisses Trump lawsuit over 2024 Des Moines Register poll
publishers 12articles 12first reported 23 Sep, 21:31 UTCdeveloping since 24 Sep · 4 editions
An Iowa judge on Wednesday dismissed President Donald Trump’s lawsuit against The Des Moines Register, former pollster J. Ann Selzer and the newspaper’s parent company over a poll published shortly before the 2024 presidential election.
Trump filed the case in December 2024, alleging the defendants fraudulently published inaccurate results intended to harm him and help Democrats. The poll showed then-Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa. His lawsuit argued that the poll coverage violated Iowa’s consumer fraud law and was not protected speech.
Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie rejected those claims, ruling that the poll and reporting about it were constitutionally protected political speech rather than a commercial product. Beattie wrote that the lawsuit attempted to extend Iowa statutory and common law beyond their existing bounds and warned that allowing its claims to proceed could discourage reporting and debate on public affairs.
The judge said dismissal would still be required even if, for purposes of considering the motions, the court accepted Trump’s allegations that the poll had been intentionally skewed and its results fabricated.
Selzer welcomed the ruling, saying polling is a social science and cannot guarantee an election result. Her lawyers and representatives of the newspaper’s parent company, USA Today Co., also praised the decision as a victory for First Amendment protections. A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team said the president plans to take the case to the Iowa Supreme Court.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 1 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 12
- Source articles
- 12
- Given to the writer
- 8, 1 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
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