President-elect Donald Trump is calling for an investigation into discredited Iowa pollster Ann Selzer after she announced she was retiring from politics.
Prior to 2024, Selzer was seen as a reputable pollster with a knack for accuracy, so she caused a stir when her last pre-election poll showed Kamala Harris beating Trump in Iowa by three points.
Trump instead won Iowa by a whopping 14 points, his biggest margin ever.
Selzer's outlier poll fueled the hopes of Democrats, who touted it as a sign of a hidden surge for Harris. Critics on the right, on the other hand, accused Selzer of driving a narrative to depress Republican turnout.
Not only did Trump win Iowa - as he did handily in 2016 and 2020 - but he also won every battleground state and the national popular vote to secure a historic second term.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump accused Selzer of intentionally manipulating the election with a "totally fake" poll and called for an investigation into Selzer and the Des Moines Register, where she worked as a pollster for years.
"A totally Fake poll that caused great distrust and uncertainty at a very critical time. She knew exactly what she was doing," Trump wrote.
"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!"
Selzer anticipated Trump's criticism in an op-ed for the Des Moines Register, where she announced her retirement from the polling industry.
In response to critics, Selzer claimed she may have motivated Trump supporters to go to the polls.
"I told more than one news outlet that the findings from this last poll could actually energize and activate Republican voters who thought they would likely coast to victory. Maybe that’s what happened," she said.
The pollster also claimed that her plans to leave the Register had been made long before the election outcome was clear.
“Would I have liked to make this announcement after a final poll aligned with Election Day results? Of course. It’s ironic that it’s just the opposite. I am proud of the work I’ve done for the Register,” she wrote.
Of course, Selzer is not the only pollster facing scrutiny over the election results. After Trump's support was underestimated yet again, many are saying the polling industry as a whole has lost its credibility.
