Which women have publicly accused Donald Trump of rape and what are their allegations?

1. Why E. Jean Carroll’s claim dominates the record—and what a civil verdict actually found

E. Jean Carroll publicly alleged that Donald Trump attacked her in a department-store dressing room in the mid-1990s, describing forcible sexual acts that she recounted in a book and testimony. A jury in a civil trial found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, awarding Carroll damages; that judgment is the only court verdict in the roster of public accusations and therefore is the clearest legal finding to date regarding sexual misconduct ^{[2] [3]}. Carroll’s own framing complicates simple labels: she described the encounter in graphic terms but has said she does not personally identify as a “victim” in the way the term is popularly used, even as the jury’s finding treated the conduct as abusive. The record also notes corroborating statements from two witnesses who came forward to support her account; Trump has denied the allegation and appealed or disputed elements of the litigation in public statements ^{[2] [3]}.

2. Other women’s accounts that include forcible touching or assault—but mixed use of the word “rape”

Multiple news inventories list between 26 and 28 women alleging sexual misconduct by Trump, with claims ranging from unwelcome kissing and groping to more forceful assault. Notable publicly named accusers include Jessica Leeds, who said Trump forcibly groped her on a plane in 1979; Natasha Stoynoff, who alleges an assault at Mar-a-Lago in 2005 while she was interviewing him; and Summer Zervos, who alleged unwanted sexual contact and later sued Trump for defamation—these accounts describe sexual violence or coercion but are not uniformly labeled “rape” by the accusers or by reporting ^{[1] [5] [4] [6]}. Reporting across outlets highlights variation in language and legal framing: some articles and accusers use “sexual assault” or “rape,” while others describe non-consensual touching or harassment, producing different legal implications and public perceptions ^{[7] [8]}.

3. Why counts and labels differ across reporting—and the dates matter

News compilations produced at different times list varying totals—19, 26, 27, or 28 accusers—because new allegations, legal filings, and civil rulings emerged across years. Earlier compendia emphasized allegations; later reporting factored in litigated outcomes like Carroll’s jury verdict and additional defamation awards. These date-stamped shifts in reporting indicate how the public tally and the strength of allegations changed as litigation unfolded and as other accusers came forward or were re-reported by outlets ^{[1] [7] [8] [3]}. The evolving numbers show both the continuity of allegations over decades and the influence of court rulings and renewed media attention on how the story is framed.

4. The defendant’s response and the public-political context around accusations

Donald Trump has consistently denied all allegations, calling them false or politically motivated; some reporting underscores that denials and counterclaims are a persistent throughline in this saga ^{[5] [8]}. Activist groups and political actors have amplified specific accusers’ stories—some using ads or targeted campaigns—making it difficult to separate independent journalism from political advocacy in parts of the coverage. For example, several accusers’ accounts were highlighted in political ads, which signals a potential advocacy agenda alongside mainstream reporting; this context matters when weighing public presentations of the allegations versus court-tested evidence ^{[4] [6]}.

5. What is established fact versus contested claim—and what remains unresolved

Established court fact: a civil jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation in E. Jean Carroll’s case, producing monetary judgments ^[3]. Established reporting fact: dozens of women have publicly accused Trump of sexual misconduct at various times and in diverse circumstances ^{[1] [5]}. Contested or unresolved items include criminal liability (no criminal convictions related to these public accusations are reported in the sources provided), the precise legal classification of many incidents (rape versus other forms of sexual assault), and the credibility disputes between accusers and Trump’s denials. The record compiled by recent journalism shows a mix of legally adjudicated findings and contested public allegations, with Carroll’s civil verdict standing as the clearest adjudicated instance of abusive conduct among the public claims ^{[2] [3]}.