Iowa Judge Dismisses Donald Trump’s Lawsuit Against The Des Moines Register
An Iowa judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against The Des Moines Register newspaper and its pollster, J. Ann Selzer. Trump had accused the defendants of misrepresenting poll coverage of the 2024 presidential race, but the judge…
Corpus Christi, TX, September 24, 2026 — An Iowa judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by former President Donald Trump against The Des Moines Register newspaper and its pollster, J. Ann Selzer. The lawsuit, which had accused the defendants of misrepresenting coverage of polling data related to the 2024 presidential race, was dismissed on the grounds that the poll and its reporting are protected political speech.
The ruling came from an Iowa judge who stated that the poll and the subsequent reporting by The Des Moines Register did not constitute a commercial product. Therefore, the claims made in the lawsuit, which alleged misrepresentation, were not upheld by the court.
Donald Trump had filed the lawsuit against the newspaper and J. Ann Selzer, a prominent pollster whose work is frequently featured by the publication. The core of Trump’s accusation was that the defendants had misrepresented poll coverage pertaining to the 2024 presidential election cycle. However, the judge’s decision frames the polling data and its journalistic treatment as protected under constitutional provisions for political speech.
Specific details regarding the exact nature of the alleged misrepresentation or the specific polls in question were not detailed in the provided summary. The ruling emphasizes the legal distinction between commercial activity and political discourse, affording greater protections to the latter. The outcome signifies a legal precedent that may influence how political speech and journalistic reporting on it are treated in future legal challenges.
The contractor’s name, the specific dates of the polling or reporting, or any potential for appeal were not provided in the summary. The judge’s decision to dismiss the lawsuit means that The Des Moines Register and J. Ann Selzer are not subject to the claims made by Donald Trump in this particular legal action. The case’s dismissal highlights the significant protections afforded to political speech and the press in the United States.
Story summarized from the original created by AP via Scripps News Group on www.kristv.com, see more information here.
