Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Iowa newspaper and pollster over 2024 race

An Iowa judge has dismissed President Donald Trump's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register and its former pollster over a 2024 election poll. The court ruled that the poll was protected by the US Constitution, dismissing Trump's allegations that pollster J Ann Selzer engaged in "brazen election interference" and that the flawed prediction constituted fraud.

Trump had filed the lawsuit after winning the Iowa election by 14 points. Judge Scott Beattie wrote a 64-page ruling, stating that Trump was attempting to turn protected speech into a liability. The judge also noted that allowing such claims to proceed could discourage others from reporting on public affairs. Trump, joined by two Republicans, accused the polling firm of deliberately publishing inaccurate information to damage his campaign.

Selzer's polling has been largely accurate but has also been incorrect, including her prediction of John Kerry's victory over George W. Bush in the 2004 Iowa caucuses. Selzer responded to the ruling, emphasizing that polling is a social science and that the firm will follow the data regardless of the results.