Judge dismisses Trump’s ‘extraordinary’ lawsuit against Iowa newspaper and pollster
Trump had accused Des Moines Register of fraudulently publishing inaccurate poll results to damage him
TL;DR
- An Iowa judge dismissed Donald Trump's lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and pollster J Ann Selzer.
- The judge ruled that the lawsuit's claims of consumer fraud were unfounded and that the poll coverage was constitutionally protected political speech.
- The ruling emphasized that allowing such lawsuits could discourage reporting and debate on public affairs.
- Trump had alleged the newspaper fraudulently published inaccurate poll results to harm his campaign.
- The judge stated the case failed to meet legal requirements for fraud or consumer deception, even if the poll was assumed to be skewed.
- US Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former Iowa state senator Brad Zaun also joined Trump's lawsuit.
- The lawsuit stemmed from a poll released days before the 2024 election that showed Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa.