Trump Loses Iowa Lawsuit Over Polling Dispute

Trump's Iowa poll lawsuit dismissed as court rules in favor of media outlets and pollster.

September 25, 2026 One Min Read

POLICY WIRE — Iowa, United States — A state judge has ruled against former President Donald Trump in a legal battle over a disputed poll, dismissing his claims that The Des Moines Register and its former pollster violated consumer fraud laws.

The case, which centered on a pre-election survey showing Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa, was thrown out by Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie, who said the media’s coverage of political polling is protected under the First Amendment.

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Trump had accused the newspaper and pollster J. Ann Selzer of publishing misleading data to harm his campaign and support Democratic candidates. However, the judge found that political reporting is not subject to state consumer protection laws and warned that allowing the case to proceed could discourage free speech and public debate.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)

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