Judge Dismisses Trump’s 2024 Lawsuit Against Des Moines Register Over Polls

Judge dismisses Trump's 2024 lawsuit against Des Moines Register over poll results. Legal battle ends with ruling on free speech and media coverage.

Editorial Desk

September 24, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Iowa, United States — A state court judge has dismissed a legal challenge brought by former President Donald Trump against The Des Moines Register and its former pollster, J. Ann Selzer, over the publication of 2024 presidential race poll results.

The case, which alleged that the newspaper and its pollster misrepresented the political landscape in Iowa, was rejected by Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie, who said allowing the lawsuit to proceed could have a chilling effect on public discourse. He ruled that the claims were unfounded and that the coverage fell under strong First Amendment protections.

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Trump’s legal team had argued that the poll results were misleading and intended to harm his campaign, but the judge concluded that the allegations did not meet the threshold for fraud or consumer deception. The ruling also affirmed that the poll and its reporting constituted protected political speech, not a commercial product. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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