Judge dismisses Trump’s 2024 lawsuit against Des Moines Register over poll results

Updated on: September 23, 2026 / 7:08 PM EDT / AP

A judge on Wednesday dismissed President Trump's lawsuit accusing The Des Moines Register and its former pollster of misrepresenting the state of the 2024 presidential race, rejecting the president's claim that the newspaper's poll coverage violated Iowa's consumer fraud law.

Calling the case extraordinary, Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie said that allowing the lawsuit and its "faulty" claims to proceed could have a chilling effect that "can discourage others from reporting on and debating public affairs." He sided with pollster J. Ann Selzer and the newspaper, who described the lawsuit as a conspiracy theory and an affront to free speech protections.

The ruling Wednesday came hours after a judge heard arguments but did not rule from the bench in a case on Mr. Trump's ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds. Mr. Trump banned the three outlets beginning Friday, assailing what he called "fake news."

Mr. Trump filed the lawsuit against Selzer, The Des Moines Register and the newspaper's parent company in December 2024, accusing them of fraudulently publishing inaccurate poll results to damage him and help Democrats, saying coverage of polls is not…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/