Trump quietly dropped 'malicious' lawsuit against pollster — and got no settlement money

President Donald Trump has quietly withdrawn his lawsuit against prominent Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register.

The lawsuit, initiated in December 2024 under Iowa's Consumer Fraud Act, accused Selzer and the newspaper of “brazen election interference” after her final pre‑election poll showed former Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by three points in deep‑red Iowa — a poll that ultimately missed the mark by approximately 16 points, as Trump won the state by 13 points.

According to a Monday court filing, the dispute has officially ended without a settlement. Selzer’s legal team confirmed to several media outlets that the case was dropped but declined to mention any compensation or agreement.

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The pollster was represented pro bono by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which criticized the lawsuit as a strategic, baseless attempt to suppress political speech and impose financial burdens on critics.

Meanwhile, journalists and press freedom advocates welcomed the withdrawal of the lawsuit.

Author James Surowiecki wrote on the social platform X: "It's hard to overstate how stupid this lawsuit was, claiming as it did that getting a poll wrong was fraud, and that a bad Iowa poll somehow damaged Trump, even though he ended up winning the state by 13 points. Smart to drop the suit before it got tossed out of court."

Journalist David Enrich wrote: "Wow. Trump has abandoned his lawsuit against the Des Moines Register – at the same time that CBS News appears poised to settle a similar Trump lawsuit. Both suits hinged on the same legal theory, which many experts described as far-fetched."

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Rep. Eric Swalwell (D‑Calif.) reacted to the news by writing, “TACO TACO MAN,” referencing a nickname mockingly coined by Wall Street investors for the president.

Press freedom activist Karyn Caplan wrote: "Thrilled to see the suit against Ann Selzer dropped. I'm ready to see the rest of Trump's SLAPPs dropped, as well."

Journalist Jon Ralston welcomed the development and termed the lawsuit "frivolous, malicious harassment."