Judge Dismisses Trump's Lawsuit Over Iowa Poll Against Des Moines Register
Judge Scott Beattie dismissed Trump's lawsuit against Des Moines Register and its pollster.
Why it matters: The ruling reinforces First Amendment protections for media reporting on elections and may shape future election-related defamation claims.
- Lawsuit filed in December 2024 challenged poll results showing Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa.
- Poll by J. Ann Selzer showed Harris at 47%, Trump at 44% just before the 2024 election.
- Trump won Iowa with 56% of the vote, contradicting poll results.
- Judge ruled the poll coverage is constitutionally protected political speech, dismissing consumer fraud claims.
On September 23, 2026, Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie dismissed former President Donald Trump's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register, its parent company Gannett Co., and pollster J. Ann Selzer.
Trump had filed the lawsuit in December 2024, accusing the defendants of publishing a poll that misrepresented the 2024 presidential race in Iowa and claiming it violated Iowa's consumer fraud law. The poll, conducted by Selzer's company in late October 2024, released days before Election Day, showed then-Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump 47% to 44% among likely Iowa voters.
Despite the poll's prediction, Trump won Iowa decisively with 56% of the vote, a 13-point margin over Harris. Judge Beattie ruled that the poll and its coverage represented constitutionally protected political speech and were therefore not subject to liability under the consumer fraud law.
The judge emphasized that allowing the lawsuit to proceed could chill essential reporting and public debate on political matters. Polly Grunfeld Sack, USA TODAY Co. Chief Legal Counsel, called the ruling "a victory for the First Amendment and for the essential role of a free press in American democracy." Pollster J. Ann Selzer noted, "Polling is a social science, not clairvoyance, and no responsible pollster can guarantee an election outcome."
This dismissal underscores strong legal safeguards for media organizations facing politically motivated lawsuits related to election reporting. It sets important precedent around the limits of legal challenges to polling results and the protection of political speech in the press.
By the numbers:
- 47% leading vote share in Iowa for Kamala Harris — according to the October 2024 poll by J. Ann Selzer
- 56% actual vote share for Donald Trump in Iowa — as certified in November 2024 election results
- September 23, 2026 — date when Judge Beattie dismissed Trump's lawsuit
What's next: No public information yet on whether Trump will appeal the dismissal of the lawsuit.