Iowa District Court Judge Scott J. Beattie dismisses Donald Trump's lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer and The Des Moines Register with prejudice. The lawsuit, which alleged that an inaccurate October 2024 pre-election poll violated state consumer fraud laws, is rejected on First Amendment grounds. Judge Beattie rules that political polling is protected political speech rather than a commercial product, warning that the lawsuit could have a chilling effect on public reporting. Donald Trump's legal team plans to appeal the decision to the Iowa Supreme Court.
Lawsuit background and allegations
- ▪Donald Trump originally filed the Iowa polling lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer in December 2024, dropped it after it moved to federal court in February 2025, and refiled it in Polk County, Iowa, later that summer
- ▪Donald Trump's lawsuit alleged that a 2024 Des Moines Register poll showing Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by three percentage points in Iowa violated the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act
- ▪Republican U.S. Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks and former Iowa State Senator Brad Zaun joined Donald Trump as co-plaintiffs in the dismissed Iowa polling lawsuit
The dismissal ruling
- ▪Judge Scott J. Beattie ruled that Donald Trump's lawsuit failed to meet the legal requirements for fraud, consumer deception, or fraudulent misrepresentation under Iowa law
- ▪Iowa District Court Judge Scott J. Beattie dismissed Donald Trump's lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer, her polling company, The Des Moines Register, and USA Today Co. with prejudice on September 23, 2026, preventing Donald Trump from refiling
- ▪Judge Scott J. Beattie ruled that political polling and news coverage of survey results constitute constitutionally protected political speech rather than commercial products governed by consumer protection statutes
- ▪Judge Scott J. Beattie stated that allowing Donald Trump's lawsuit to proceed could cause a chilling effect that discourages others from reporting on and debating public affairs
- ▪Donald Trump's legal team confirmed that Donald Trump will appeal the dismissal of the Iowa polling lawsuit directly to the Iowa Supreme Court
Defense reactions and representation
- ▪J. Ann Selzer stated that polling is a social science, not clairvoyance, and that no responsible pollster can guarantee an election outcome
- ▪The free speech advocacy group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression represented pollster J. Ann Selzer in her legal defense against Donald Trump's lawsuit
- ▪Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression chief counsel Bob Corn-Revere stated that the First Amendment does not allow government officials to punish people under the banner of 'fake news.'
- ▪J. Ann Selzer stated she was grateful for Judge Scott J. Beattie's ruling dismissing Donald Trump's lawsuit, noting that it reaffirms the fundamental freedom to pursue and publish the truth without political interference
- ▪USA Today Co. chief legal counsel Polly Grunfeld Sack celebrated Judge Scott J. Beattie's ruling dismissing Donald Trump's lawsuit, calling it a victory for the First Amendment and the essential role of a free press
Other Trump media disputes
- ▪On September 23, 2026, a federal judge in Washington heard arguments regarding Donald Trump's ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House grounds
- ▪Donald Trump has filed multiple lawsuits accusing media organizations of political bias, including ongoing legal actions against the BBC, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal
Debatable claims
- ▪Donald Trump's lawsuits against media outlets threaten press freedom
- ▪Political polling does more harm than good to the democratic process
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