Judge dismisses Trump lawsuit over Iowa poll

Trump had denounced the poll as inaccurate and deliberately slanted to disparage him and demoralize his voters. His lawsuit, filed in December 2024, did not claim defamation but instead sought damages for a violation of the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act, describing the poll as a defective product.

However, Judge Beattie disagreed, stating that "Simply labeling the poll a product does not change the analysis." The judge wrote that the fact someone was paid to conduct the poll does not transform it from speech into a product, and that "The rights protected by the First Amendment are not a word game."

A spokesperson for Trump’s legal team stated that the president plans to appeal the decision to the Iowa Supreme Court, vowing to hold accountable those who "traffic in deception and fake news."