President-elect Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and its pollster for what he claims is 'brazen election interference.' The lawsuit stems from a pre-election survey published by the Register showing Democrat Kamala Harris with a three-point lead in Iowa, a state that Trump ultimately won by over 13 percentage points.
The lawsuit, filed in Polk County district court in Iowa, accuses the newspaper and pollster of releasing misleading information that allegedly increased enthusiasm among Democrats, diverted Republican campaign resources, and deceived the public about the true state of the election.
The lawsuit does not seek specific monetary damages but asks for triple the amount of actual damages to be determined by a trial jury. Trump's legal team argues that the poll results were 'election-interfering fiction' and accuses the media outlet of acting with 'corrupt intent.'
In response, the parent company of the Des Moines Register, Gannett Co., has dismissed the lawsuit as meritless and vowed to defend its First Amendment rights. The newspaper has stood by its reporting, acknowledging that the pre-election poll did not reflect the actual election results.
The retired pollster, J. Ann Selzer, who conducted the survey, has refuted the allegations, stating that it is not her practice to manipulate poll results for a specific outcome. She expressed bewilderment at the accusations and denied any wrongdoing.
The lawsuit is part of a broader pattern of legal actions taken by Trump against media outlets that he believes have wronged him. The case could have implications beyond Iowa, with Trump seeking to deter what he calls 'radicals' from releasing polls that he claims are designed to skew election results in favor of Democrats.
Despite the legal dispute, the Des Moines Register maintains that the lawsuit is without merit and stands by its reporting. The outcome of the case could have far-reaching consequences for the relationship between political figures and the media in the future.
