 "Trump sues Iowa newspaper, alleges fraud in pre-election polling results")
Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register, its parent company Gannett, and its pollster, J Ann Selzer, accusing them of consumer fraud and election interference, multiple US media outlets reported on Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed in Polk County, Iowa, on Monday, challenges a pre-election poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump in Iowa by three percentage points.
US election poll discrepancy
The poll in question, conducted on November 2, was widely publicised before the election, projecting Harris ahead of Trump in Iowa. However, Trump won the state decisively by a margin of 13 percentage points and went on to defeat Harris in the presidential election.
Trump’s lawsuit alleges that Selzer’s polling was intentionally misleading, stating that the discrepancy was “not an astonishing coincidence – it was intentional.” The lawsuit, reviewed by Reuters and NBC News, cites Trump’s remarks: “She knew exactly what she was doing.”
The suit seeks unspecified damages and a court order barring the Des Moines Register from engaging in what Trump’s team describes as “ongoing deceptive and misleading acts and practices” in polling.
Gannett responds to Trump
Gannett, the parent company of the Des Moines Register, has dismissed the claims as baseless. A spokesperson quoted by The New York Times said, “We stand by our reporting and believe the lawsuit is without merit.”
The Register acknowledged the poll’s inaccuracy, releasing detailed data and methodology alongside a technical explanation from Selzer.
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J Ann Selzer, a renowned pollster known for her accuracy in the past, announced her retirement from political polling in mid-November, citing plans to explore other ventures.
Trump’s legal campaigns
This lawsuit is the latest in a series of legal actions initiated by Trump against the media. Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Trump said, “I feel I have an obligation to straighten out the press. Our press is very corrupt, almost as corrupt as our elections.”
In addition to suing the Des Moines Register, Trump highlighted lawsuits against Simon & Schuster and journalist Bob Woodward, accusing them of misrepresenting his taped interviews. He has also filed a case against CBS News, alleging deceptive editing in a 60 Minutes interview with Harris.
Recently, ABC News agreed to a $15 million settlement in a defamation lawsuit brought by Trump, with the funds allocated to a foundation and museum in his name.
Not all of Trump’s legal efforts, however, have succeeded. For instance, a lawsuit against Hillary Clinton alleging a racketeering conspiracy resulted in nearly $1 million in fines for his legal team.