What evidence and witnesses are cited in the recent lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct by Trump?
Executive summary
Multiple recent civil suits against Donald Trump center on E. Jean Carroll’s allegations that he sexually assaulted her in the mid-1990s and later defamed her; a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation and ordered $5 million and $83.3 million in separate awards that appellate courts have largely upheld (jury verdict May 2023; appeals decisions Dec. 30, 2024 and June 13, 2025) [1] [2]. Newer, high-profile filings include a $310 million trafficking-style lawsuit alleging an “Epstein‑identical” operation that names Trump along with other billionaires; reporting on that suit describes sweeping claims including grooming, trafficking and even attempted murder but also notes Trump’s denials and that he faces no related criminal charges in that matter [3] [4].
1. What the Carroll case says — the core evidence and witnesses
E. Jean Carroll’s civil suit alleged Trump sexually assaulted her in a New York department store in the mid‑1990s and later defamed her when he publicly denied the claim; the May 2023 jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming Carroll and awarded $5 million for the abuse verdict, a decision a federal appellate panel affirmed on December 30, 2024, with the court rejecting an en banc rehearing on June 13, 2025 [1] [2]. Reporting and court filings show the trial included Carroll’s own testimony and that Judge Lewis Kaplan allowed testimony from two other women who alleged similar conduct in the 1970s and 2005; Trump’s lawyers argued these witnesses were improperly admitted but the appeals court rejected that challenge [5] [6].
2. The types of proof presented in court
In Carroll’s trial and appeals, jurors considered Carroll’s eyewitness account of the alleged assault, contemporaneous and later statements (including Trump’s public denials), and testimony from two other accusers whose accounts the judge allowed as evidence of similar conduct; the legal findings turned on liability for sexual abuse under New York law and the later defamatory statements Trump made about Carroll [1] [5]. Available sources do not provide a full exhibit list from the trials in these summaries, but they emphasize testimonial evidence and the judge’s rulings on admissibility [6].
3. What appellate rulings focused on
Appellate decisions have centered on whether trial rulings — notably admitting testimony from other accusers and certain cross‑examination limits — were legal errors sufficient to overturn the verdict. A three‑judge federal appeals panel held that the district court did not err in affirming the $5 million award and related rulings, prompting Trump to request en banc review and later a Supreme Court petition [1] [5]. Reports note Trump’s legal strategy arguing trial errors and, in other filings, constitutional challenges to state law as part of his appeals [1].
4. Newer trafficking-style lawsuit — scope and allegations
A separate, widely reported 2025 civil complaint seeks $310 million and alleges a trafficking operation “identical” to Jeffrey Epstein’s, accusing Trump and others of grooming a plaintiff born in 1998 and of facilitating coordinated assaults; the coverage highlights extraordinary allegations including claims that plaintiffs’ family members were threatened and even that there were attempts on a plaintiff’s life, while also noting these are civil claims and that Trump denies wrongdoing and is not criminally charged in relation to them in the reporting [3] [4].
5. How sources frame credibility, defenses and limitations
News reporting underscores competing perspectives: plaintiffs present sworn testimony and documentary or corroborative claims; defendants (including Trump) deny wrongdoing and attack evidentiary rulings and the sufficiency of the evidence. Appeals and ongoing litigation illustrate that civil liability findings can be sustained even amid vigorous defense arguments, but the sources also show active legal challenges seeking new hearings or Supreme Court review [1] [5]. Available sources do not mention forensic or DNA evidence in these reports (not found in current reporting).
6. Takeaway for readers — what is established and what is contested
What is established in reporting and court records cited here: a jury found Trump civilly liable for sexual abuse and defamation in Carroll’s case and appellate panels have repeatedly affirmed those awards; separate, expansive trafficking allegations have been filed in civil court and are being reported but remain contested and unproven in court [1] [2] [3]. What remains contested: defendants’ denials, procedural and constitutional challenges, and the sufficiency of various pieces of evidence — issues the appeals process and ongoing filings continue to litigate [5] [6].