Iowa judge dismisses Trump lawsuit against Des Moines Register and pollster

Gannett: Gannett is a media company that owns the Des Moines Register. It was included as a defendant in the lawsuit filed by President Trump over the newspaper's 2024 Iowa poll. The court dismissed the claims against Gannett on constitutional grounds. Donald Trump: Donald Trump is the President of the United States serving his second term. In this case, he is the plaintiff who filed a lawsuit in late 2024 against a newspaper and pollster over a pre-election poll in Iowa that he claimed was fraudulent. A judge dismissed the suit on First Amendment grounds, and his legal team has indicated plans to appeal. J. Ann Selzer: J. Ann Selzer is a longtime pollster who conducted surveys for the Des Moines Register. She was sued by President Trump over a 2024 Iowa poll that predicted Kamala Harris would win the state. The lawsuit was dismissed, with the court finding the poll results were not actionable as fraud under state law. Scott Beattie: Scott Beattie is an Iowa District Judge presiding over civil matters in the state. He dismissed President Trump's lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and its pollster, ruling that the poll was protected speech under the First Amendment and did not violate fraud statutes. Bob Corn-Revere: Bob Corn-Revere is chief counsel for the free speech organization FIRE. He represented pollster J. Ann Selzer in the lawsuit brought by President Trump and welcomed the court's dismissal of the case as a clear affirmation of First Amendment protections for polls and predictions. Des Moines Register: The Des Moines Register is a newspaper based in Iowa that publishes polls ahead of elections. It was named as a defendant in President Trump's lawsuit along with its pollster over a 2024 survey showing him trailing. The court ruled the poll constituted protected speech and dismissed the claims against the paper and its parent company. Media Pressure: President Trump has escalated efforts against media outlets he criticizes during his second term, including lawsuits, calls for license actions, and restrictions on White House access. First Amendment: Courts have long held that polls, ratings, forecasts, and predictions based on subjective analysis of data are protected speech not subject to fraud claims. Legal Challenge: A separate hearing indicated judicial skepticism toward the legality of President Trump's recent decision to ban certain news organizations from the White House.