Late night host Stephen Colbert criticized the president-elect's decision to sue former Iowa informant Ann Selzer on Wednesday night, calling ABC News' settlement with President-elect Donald Trump “stupid.” ” he said.
“Why are these stupid things happening stupidly? My guess is because ABC did something stupid and stupid. Look, this weekend, ABC News is going to settle a defamation lawsuit. agreed to pay $15 million and issued an apology,” Colbert said.
ABC News has agreed to pay $15 million in charitable donations to President Trump's Foundation and apologize to the president-elect.
“If the president thinks he can bully the media into not saying anything bad about him, what else is going on?” Colbert said, changing the subject.
Late night host Stephen Colbert criticized ABC News on Wednesday for its reconciliation with Donald Trump. (Screenshot/CBS)
Iowa pollster Ann Selzer suggests her data may have inspired Republican voters to prove it wrong
Shortly after settling with ABC News, Trump also spoke to Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and Des Moines over an Iowa poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by 3 points in the historically red state. He sued the Register.
“So just missing a prediction is a hindrance? Well, in that case, Panzatawney Phil, you'd better get a lawyer, Buttercup, if you want to see your own shadow again,” Colbert argued. I joked about it.
The lawsuit was filed Monday night in Polk County, Iowa, under the Iowa Consumer Fraud Act and related provisions. The group claims that the Des Moines Register (DMR) and Selzer used leaked and manipulated Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa information to support now-defeated former Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. They say they are holding them accountable for brazen election interference. Conducting a public opinion poll Published by Selzer and S&C and posted in the Des Moines Register on November 2, 2024 by DMR and Gannett. ”
In the end, Trump won Iowa by 13 points. Selzer's polling was heavily promoted by the media before the election because her poll predictions in past elections have been historically accurate.
President-elect Donald Trump is suing Iowa pollster Ann Selzer and the Des Moines Register over an Iowa poll that showed Vice President Kamala Harris leading Trump by 3 points in the historically red state. There is. (Hannah Baier/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Selzer pushed back against criticism of herself and the poll in a recent interview, but admitted she still doesn't know what went wrong.
“I'm not here to give you any news. If you're expecting me to know exactly why things went wrong, I don't. Check this out, it would be very strange if this happened, but in an unprecedented move for transparency, the Des Moines Register , and published the cross-tabulation, waiting system, and my analysis online. It was clean so I didn't need to update it I don't know. I wish I had known,” she said.
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Selzer continued, “I'm just wondering what my motivation was for participating in a poll like this and why I think anyone would act on a poll like this.'' I don't understand that. And I'm very serious about what I'm saying. They're saying this is election interference, so it's intentional on my part to react this way, even though I've never done it before and I've had plenty of opportunities to do so. The idea that I set is a crime and it is not my ethics.”
