Judge Dismisses Trump Lawsuit Over Iowa Poll Results Ahead of 2024 Election

In the final days before the 2024 presidential election, the Des Moines Register published a poll conducted by J. Ann Selzer, a respected Iowa pollster. The poll showed Donald Trump trailing his opponent, Kamala Harris, in the state.

Trump and his legal team quickly challenged the poll's validity, arguing that it was inaccurate and harmed his campaign. They filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register, its parent company, and Selzer, seeking to contest the poll results and the way they were reported.

On September 23, 2026, Iowa District Court Judge Scott Beattie issued a written ruling dismissing Trump's lawsuit. The judge found that the claims made in the suit were not sufficient to proceed and highlighted that allowing the case could discourage others from reporting on or debating public affairs, which is protected under the First Amendment, according to CBS.

The suit had specifically targeted the accuracy of the polling data and the reporting practices of both Selzer and the Des Moines Register. The court rejected arguments that the poll constituted election interference or was intentionally misleading, as reported by Axios.

Other media outlets echoed that the ruling sent a clear message in support of press freedom and the long-standing role of polling in American elections, as noted by Reason and the NYT. The judge also warned about the potential chilling effect on journalism and public discourse if such lawsuits were allowed to advance.

On September 24, additional coverage confirmed that the lawsuit had been dismissed and that there were no further legal avenues for Trump in this matter, according to The Hill.

The lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against the Des Moines Register and J. Ann Selzer has been definitively dismissed by the Iowa court. There are no new legal challenges reported regarding this specific poll or the defendants involved.

The ruling stands as a notable legal precedent during a period of heightened scrutiny over polling and media coverage in U.S. elections.