Iowa Judge Dismisses Donald Trump's Lawsuit Over 2024 Poll

Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie dismissed a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and former state Senator Brad Zaun against The Des Moines Register, its parent company USA TODAY Co., and pollster J. Ann Selzer. The plaintiffs alleged that a late-October 2024 poll showing Kamala Harris leading Trump 47% to 44% was a defective product and a violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act intended to damage Trump's campaign. Trump ultimately won the state by 13 to 14 percentage points.

Judge Beattie dismissed the case with prejudice, ruling that the poll and its coverage constituted constitutionally protected political speech under the First Amendment rather than a commercial product. He stated that the lawsuit attempted to turn protected speech into a liability and warned that allowing such claims to proceed could discourage the reporting of public affairs. The judge noted that the case failed to meet legal requirements for fraud or consumer deception, asserting that erroneous statements are inevitable in free debate.

J. Ann Selzer defended her work, stating that polling is a social science and not a guarantee of election outcomes. While the court's decision prevents the plaintiffs from filing the same claim again, a spokesperson for Trump's legal team announced the president intends to appeal the ruling to the Iowa Supreme Court, maintaining his commitment to holding those who traffic in deception responsible.