A legal battle over a disputed Iowa poll could impact political coverage. Trump claims the Des Moines Register and J. Ann Selzer manipulated results. The court will decide if the case moves forward.
President Donald Trump seeks to keep his lawsuit alive against the Des Moines Register and pollster J. Ann Selzer, a case that could influence how political polling is reported and protected under law.
On Friday, Trump's legal team appeared in Iowa state court, urging Polk County District Judge Scott Beattie to deny a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The dispute centers on a poll published by the Des Moines Register just days before the 2024 election, which showed former Vice President Kamala Harris with a narrow lead in Iowa. Trump alleges that the poll was fraudulently manipulated to harm his campaign.
The Des Moines Register and Selzer have argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed, citing the First Amendment's protection of press freedom in reporting on political matters. In response, Trump's attorneys contend that the poll constitutes commercial speech and falls under Iowa's consumer fraud law, making it subject to different legal standards than traditional news reporting.
The outcome of this case could set important precedents for publishers, pollsters, and news organizations covering elections, especially regarding the boundaries between protected journalism and commercial speech under state law.
