Trump Drops Lawsuit Against Iowa Pollster, Newspaper

President Donald Trump has dropped his lawsuit against Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register after a disputed pre-election poll showed Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa, despite Trump ultimately winning the state by over 13 points. The lawsuit, filed under Iowa's Consumer Fraud Act, accused the poll and its publication of 'brazen election interference,' but was criticized by legal experts and press freedom advocates as baseless and an attempt to suppress political speech. Ann Selzer was represented pro bono by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), which argued the suit threatened First Amendment rights. No settlement was reached, and the case was dismissed without prejudice, allowing for a potential but unlikely refiling. The withdrawal of the lawsuit comes amid broader scrutiny of Trump's litigious tactics against the media and pollsters. Selzer, regarded as a 'gold standard' pollster in Iowa, retired shortly after the election.