1. United States
2. Ohio
3. Letter

Trump's lawsuit against pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register is a blatant attack on freedom of the press and democracy itself. It alleges violations of Iowa's Consumer Fraud Act, but fails to provide any credible evidence of actual fraud or damages incurred by Trump. Instead, it relies on distortions, misrepresentations, and the very "Big Lie" rhetoric Trump has used to undermine faith in US elections. This lawsuit represents a dangerous escalation of Trump's authoritarian tendencies and his relentless efforts to bully and silence any voices that contradict his version of reality. By targeting a respected pollster and a major newspaper for simply publishing polling data unfavorable to him, Trump is sending a chilling message that reporting facts he dislikes could lead to legal retaliation. Such heavy-handed intimidation tactics have no place in a free society. They are antithetical to the First Amendment and the vital role an independent press plays in holding power to account. If successful, this lawsuit would deal a severe blow to our democratic norms and open the floodgates for Trump and future demagogues to weaponize frivolous litigation to suppress truthful reporting. For the sake of preserving our constitutional rights and the integrity of elections, this lawsuit must be rejected as the anti-democratic farce that it is. Allowing it to proceed would signal a deeply alarming erosion of press freedoms and the public's right to access factual information free from the threat of legal retaliation by those in power. We cannot let Trump's authoritarian impulses go unchecked.