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Donald Trump calls for ‘investigation’ into J. Ann Selzer's ‘fake’ Iowa poll: ‘She knew exactly what she was doing’

Donald Trump blasted election pollster J. Ann Selzer, calling for a probe after her last pre-Election Day survey showed Kamala Harris beating him in Iowa.

Published on: Nov 18, 2024, 12:36:41 IST
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Donald Trump blasted election pollster J. Ann Selzer, calling for a probe after her last pre-Election Day survey showed Kamala Harris beating him in Iowa. Trump ultimately won in the state.

Donald Trump calls for ‘investigation’ into J. Ann Selzer's ‘fake’ Iowa poll (REUTERS/Jonathan Drake/File Photo, CNBC-TV18/YouTube)
Donald Trump calls for ‘investigation’ into J. Ann Selzer's ‘fake’ Iowa poll (REUTERS/Jonathan Drake/File Photo, CNBC-TV18/YouTube)

Hours after Selzer announced she was quitting election polling, the president-elect criticised her and the Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll in a Truth Social post. Seltzer’s last poll showed that Trump would lose to the vice president by three points in Iowa, which eventually proved to be wrong when Trump ended up winning.

“A totally Fake poll that caused great distrust and uncertainty at a very critical time. She knew exactly what she was doing. Thank you to the GREAT PEOPLE OF IOWA for giving me such a record breaking vote, despite possible ELECTION FRAUD by Ann Selzer and the now discredited “newspaper” for which she works. An investigation is fully called for!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

However, it is unclear what kind of investigation Trump referred to.

Steven Cheung, the incoming communications director under the president-elect, said that Selzer “beclowned herself during the last days of the campaign in a seemingly blatant attempt to misinform the public for the benefit of Kamala Harris,” according to New York Post.

‘My integrity means a lot to me’

In an op-ed in the Des Moines Register, Selzer said she is planning to move on to “other ventures and opportunities.” “Would I have liked to make this announcement after a final poll aligned with Election Day results? Of course,” she said of the November 1 poll. “It’s ironic that it’s just the opposite.”

Talking about the poll, Selzer said she found “nothing to illuminate the miss,” and went on to guess that respondents might have lied or changed their opinion following the poll being conducted. “My integrity means a lot to me,” she said. “To those who have questioned it, there are likely no words to dissuade.”

  • Sumanti Sen
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Sumanti Sen

    Sumanti Sen covers everything that’s happening in the US, from politics to entertainment, but her expertise lies in covering crime news. She has comprehensively chronicled the Idaho student murders, the Laken Riley and Iryna Zarutska cases, and the killing of Charlie Kirk, among other incidents. Over the years, she has interviewed several victims/families of victims of crimes seeking justice. She digs up stories that might otherwise remain unheard, and does her bit to ensure that victims and survivors’ voices are heard. Sumanti’s many years of experience also include interviews with Hamas attack survivors and mental health experts, among others. Her coverage of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and interviews with survivors of the tragedy, coupled with her other works including the Titan submersible coverage, earned her the Digi Journo of the Quarter award during her first year at Hindustan Times. Sumanti actively tracks missing person cases in the United States, and peruses Reddit and other social media platforms to bring to light cases that frequently elude public attention. She has extensively covered the disappearances of Nancy Guthrie, Thomas Medlin, Beau Mann, and Sudiksha Konanki, among others. When not at work, you will either find her with her novels, or with her beloved rescue pooches.Read More