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How many women have come forward with allegations of sexual assault against Donald Trump since 2016?
Executive summary
Counting the public accusations is contested because outlets and compilers use different criteria (who counts as “since 2016,” whether to include earlier incidents disclosed after 2016, and whether to count anonymous suits). Major compilations that journalists cite have ranged from "about two dozen" to "27" women; Business Insider listed 26 by 2017 and Axios reported the 27th accuser in October 2024 [1] [2]. A high-profile civil verdict found Trump liable for sexual abuse of E. Jean Carroll, underscoring that at least some allegations resulted in judicial findings [3].
1. How reporters and fact‑checkers count accusers — definitions matter
Different newsrooms and researchers apply varying rules when tallying women who have “come forward”: some lists include all women who alleged any form of misconduct going back decades but first publicized their claims in or after 2016; others limit to allegations reported during the 2016 campaign wave. Business Insider’s 2017 roundup documented “at least 26 women” accusing Trump of sexual misconduct (broadly defined) and framed that as the post‑Access Hollywood surge in reports [1]. Axios noted a “27th” woman in October 2024, indicating counts can change as new accusers go public [2].
2. Why 2016 is a turning point in the public record
The Access Hollywood tape’s release in October 2016 triggered a wave of public allegations and renewed attention to prior claims; many media orgs compiled lists soon after. Business Insider and other outlets say a “deluge” of accusations followed the tape, which shifted private complaints into the public arena and produced the multi‑accuser compilations cited in later reporting [1].
3. Examples that illustrate the assortment of allegations
Compilations include a range of allegations from unwanted touching and groping to claims of more serious assault. Business Insider’s list references multiple women with incidents spanning decades; PBS’s recap similarly summarizes allegations that range from “an unwanted touch” to attempted rape and includes named accusers such as Natasha Stoynoff and Jill Harth [1] [4]. Axios’s piece mentions both long‑standing claims (Ivana Trump’s 1989 deposition) and more recent public accusations [2].
4. Legal outcomes vs. public allegations — one civil verdict, many unproven claims
Most accusations remain allegations publicly reported by individuals or compiled by journalists; they have not produced criminal convictions. A notable exception is E. Jean Carroll’s civil case: a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and for defamation, awarding $5 million, though the jury did not find rape under New York’s penal code [3] [5]. Reporters emphasize that Carroll’s verdict is the first time a jury found Trump liable in such a case, while many other allegations have not been litigated to similar civil or criminal findings [3].
5. Disputed or anonymous claims and investigative pushback
Some allegations have been subject to skepticism and investigative challenges. The anonymous “Katie Johnson” lawsuits alleging abuse involving Jeffrey Epstein and Trump were withdrawn or dismissed and later reporting and fact‑checking raised “red flags” about the filings and the plaintiff’s identity; Snopes and other outlets queried the documentary basis of those child‑sex allegations and cautioned about conflating them with other Epstein documents [6] [7]. Journalists and compilers generally flag such controversies rather than treating every filing as an uncontested fact [6] [7].
6. Why counts differ across outlets and what that means for readers
Counts vary because outlets decide differently whether to include: older incidents first reported in 2016 or later, anonymous plaintiffs or withdrawn suits, and incidents the subject later contested or where reporting raised credibility concerns. The Independent and The Guardian provided roundup-style lists that emphasize the evolving, multipronged nature of reporting; Business Insider and PBS offered numerical tallies with context [8] [9] [1] [4]. Readers should treat any single number as provisional and dependent on editorial criteria.
7. Bottom line for the original question
Available reporting in major outlets shows roughly mid‑20s in public compendia: Business Insider documented 26 women as of 2017, and Axios reported a 27th accuser in October 2024 [1] [2]. Exact totals depend on which allegations and timeframes are included; in at least one high‑profile civil case a jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse (E. Jean Carroll) while many other claims remain allegations reported by individuals and compiled by journalists [3].
Limitations: available sources supplied here do not provide a single, definitive, up‑to‑the‑minute count and different news organizations use different inclusion rules, so totals cited above reflect the counts published by those outlets rather than a court‑verified census [1] [2].