Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the publication and pollster that notoriously predicted he would lose Iowa by three points just days before last month’s presidential election.
The Des Moines Register published the findings of pollster J. Ann Selzer three days before the election, projecting Democrat Kamala Harris to win Iowa — now considered a solidly Republican state — and ultimately the presidency. Selzer’s poll was the only one in the nation to forecast this outcome, and given her history of accurately predicting Iowa results, the projection was widely regarded as a shock.
However, the election outcome told a different story: Trump won Iowa by over 13 points, marking a discrepancy of more than 16 points between the poll and the actual results.
Trump is moving forward with legal action against Selzer, the Des Moines Register, and its parent company, alleging “brazen election interference.”
At a press conference on Monday, Dec. 16, the President-elect called the poll and its publication “fraud,” stating his desire to “straighten out the press.” The lawsuit claims Selzer’s poll was “an attempt to influence the outcome of the 2024 presidential election,” further accusing the pollster of failing to adhere to “widely accepted polling methodologies.”
In a response to CBS News, the Des Moines Register denied the allegations, asserting that the poll did not align with Trump’s eventual 13-point victory in the state and maintaining that the lawsuit “would be without merit.”
The legal move has drawn widespread attention on social media, with many noting its timing, just days after Trump secured a $15 million settlement against ABC News.
