How many women have publicly accused Donald Trump of sexual assault or misconduct and what are the sources for each allegation?

1. Why the numbers diverge: definitions, timing and journalistic choices

Different tallies reflect divergent methods: some counts (e.g., Business Insider, The Independent) list 26 named women who made on-the-record accusations of sexual misconduct stretching back decades ^{[2] [7]}. Other outlets framed a narrower set — “more than a dozen” or 16 — based on allegations meeting certain thresholds such as contemporaneous corroboration or formal legal claims ^{[1] [8]}. Still other pieces, noting broader categories (harassment, unwanted contact, groping, assault and allegations involving minors), produce larger aggregates — Jessica Bennett in the New York Times and others argued counts could be 67–69 when including a wide range of claims and reports ^{[4] [7]}. The divergence is grounded in editorial decisions about what counts as “sexual assault” versus “misconduct” and whether to include anonymous, recanted, civil, or unproven claims ^{[4] [2]}.

2. The most frequently cited lists and their sourcing

Two commonly referenced compilations are Business Insider’s “The 26 Women” list (which names individuals and short descriptions) and PBS/Reuters/Time fact-checking or timelines that describe “more than a dozen” or provide detailed timelines of allegations ^{[2] [1] [9] [10]}. The Independent cited a book that counted 26 incidents of “unwanted sexual contact” and up to 43 instances of inappropriate behavior, adding nuance about incidents versus accusers ^[7]. Axios and other outlets noted incremental additions — for example, when new accusers went public in 2024 their count rose to about 27 ^[3].

3. Legal outcomes versus public accusations — E. Jean Carroll as a touchstone

Among the accusations, E. Jean Carroll’s claim resulted in civil liability: a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and for defamation, awarding her $5 million in the initial verdict, later subject to additional appeals and penalties reported by courts and outlets ^{[5] [6] [11]}. Reporting makes clear this is the first time a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse in civil court; most other public allegations did not produce criminal convictions or civil liability against Trump ^{[5] [12]}.

4. Types of allegations reported and corroboration issues

The allegations range from non-consensual kissing and groping to claims meeting some definitions of sexual assault; some involve contemporaneous corroboration (witnesses or contemporaneous reporting) while others are based on later recollections or anonymous accounts ^{[2] [10] [1]}. Reuters and PBS note the spectrum and emphasize that many allegations predate Trump’s political career, complicating contemporaneous investigations or police reports ^{[9] [1]}.

5. Cases that were filed or dropped, and allegations involving minors

Some accusers pursued legal action that was later dropped or settled; for example, a 2016 case by a woman using the pseudonym Jane Doe alleging rape as a teenager was voluntarily dismissed, per The Guardian’s reporting ^[13]. Reporting from Snopes and other outlets questions or debunks certain more sensational claims, underscoring the need to distinguish verified documents from unverified or AI-amplified material ^[14].

6. How journalists and researchers recommend using these lists

Journalists and scholars argue that lists need context: counting should differentiate between types of misconduct, include sourcing (on-the-record interviews, court filings, contemporaneous witnesses) and disclose editorial thresholds for inclusion ^{[15] [4]}. Ruthann Robson’s academic work calls for systematic inquiry into patterns rather than treating each allegation as isolated ^[15].

7. What the available sources do not resolve

Available sources do not provide a single, universally agreed authoritative list with identical inclusion criteria; they also do not establish criminal convictions against Trump beyond the civil finding for Carroll ^{[5] [6]}. Sources do not confirm a definitive final tally because counts rise or fall as new claims surface, some are withdrawn, and outlets apply different standards ^{[4] [3]}.

Summary recommendation for readers: consult the named compilations (Business Insider’s 26, Time’s and Reuters’ factboxes, PBS timelines) for enumerated lists and read the original profiles and court documents for each named accusation to understand corroboration and legal outcomes ^{[2] [10] [9] [6]}.