I’m sipping my coffee and reading about President Donald Trump’s latest lawsuit, and folks, it’s a doozy. An Iowa judge has dismissed Trump’s lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer, her polling company, the Des Moines Register, and Gannett. I almost spilled my coffee reading about the details of this case. The lawsuit was filed by Trump, Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, and former Iowa State Senator Brad Zaun, and it’s been thrown out with prejudice, meaning they can’t file the same claim again.
The suit was all about a 2024 poll published by the Des Moines Register that showed Vice President Kamala Harris with a lead in Iowa, which didn’t exactly pan out in the actual election results. Trump and his team alleged that the poll and the reporting around it were meant to give Democrats an edge in the last week of the campaign. Bless their hearts, they thought they had a case. The lawsuit claimed that the defendants knowingly published false polling information, and even if it was unintentional, they negligently published false information.
Now, I’m no lawyer, but it seems like Judge Scott Beattie of Iowa’s Fifth Judicial District saw right through this one. He wrote that the “Iowa Poll and its reporting are fully protected political speech,” and that the plaintiffs’ lawsuit “does not allege the elements that would place that speech within the fraud exception.” In other words, the judge is saying that just because you don’t like the poll results, it doesn’t mean you can sue someone for it. You can’t make this stuff up, folks.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the nonprofit free speech group that defended Selzer, is thrilled with the decision. They said in a statement, “We’re pleased that the court recognized what we’ve said all along: This lawsuit was laughable from the beginning and never should have been brought.” FIRE chief counsel Bob Corn-Revere added, “The First Amendment does not allow anyone in government, least of all the president, to punish people under the banner of ‘fake news.'” Somewhere in Atlanta, a producer thought this sounded terrifying, but it’s really just a big win for free speech.
The Des Moines Register’s owner, Gannett (now known as USA Today Co.), is also celebrating the victory. Their chief legal counsel, Polly Grunfeld Sack, said, “This decision reaffirms the enduring First Amendment principles that empower journalists and sends a message to those who think they can intimidate the press through legal action.” It’s a big day for journalists and free speech advocates, and I’m happy to see the court standing up for what’s right.
In conclusion, it’s clear that Trump’s lawsuit was a long shot, and the court made the right decision in dismissing it. As I finish my coffee, I’m left thinking that this is a big win for free speech and a reminder that you can’t just sue someone for publishing something you don’t like. And that’s a pretty good way to start the day, if you ask me. 🙄
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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