3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 23
Summary
An Iowa state judge threw out President Trump's lawsuit against The Des Moines Register, pollster J. Ann Selzer, her firm and parent company Gannett over a 2024 pre-election Iowa poll.
Judge Scott Beattie said the case targeted speech on a matter of public concern and warned that letting it proceed could chill reporting and debate about public affairs.
Trump sued in December 2024 after winning both the presidency and Iowa, accusing the defendants of election interference and consumer fraud over a poll showing Kamala Harris ahead by 3 points.
The poll proved far off—Trump carried Iowa by double digits—and lawyers for Selzer at FIRE said the ruling reaffirmed that the First Amendment bars government officials from punishing news outlets as 'fake news.'
The dismissal lands amid Trump's broader clashes with the press, including a separate court fight Wednesday over his White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.