Did Trump really say 14 was old enough to decide?

1. The 1992 “couple of years I’ll be dating you” anecdote: a contemporaneous press attribution

The line about dating 14‑year‑olds is not new; The Independent reported in 2016 that a Chicago Tribune wire story from the early 1990s quoted Trump, then in his mid‑40s, telling two 14‑year‑old choir girls outside the Plaza Hotel: “Wow! Just think — in a couple of years I’ll be dating you” ^[1]. The Independent attributed the wording to Chicago Tribune wires and noted other footage and audio from that era surfaced later ^[1]. Available sources do not provide the original Chicago Tribune wire text itself here, only The Independent’s reporting of that attribution ^[1].

2. What the 1992 reporting implies — and what it doesn’t prove

The Independent’s piece presents the quote as a contemporaneous report of Trump’s remarks at a public event; it treats the quote as an allegation made in an established news outlet ^[1]. That reporting documents the statement was publicly reported at the time, but the current set of sources does not include an original audio or video clip verifying the exact phrasing beyond The Independent’s citation of the Tribune wires, so definitive audiovisual confirmation is not found in these items ^[1].

3. Broader pattern cited by later outlets and investigations

Several later outlets have revisited Trump’s interactions with teenagers in varied contexts — for example, The Guardian’s reporting examined the world of teen models and events Trump attended, noting allegations and contextualizing them within broader industry claims from the same era ^[4]. Opinion and activist pieces compile such incidents into narratives about his history with younger women ^[5]. These sources present patterns and witnesses beyond the single choir anecdote, but also include contested or legally unresolved claims; The Guardian notes denials from Trump’s representatives on specific allegations ^[4].

4. Contemporary distinction: dating comment versus criminal‑justice position on age 14

It’s important to separate the old anecdote about a remark to 14‑year‑olds from current policy statements. In 2025 reporting, Trump publicly advocated changing D.C. law so that “minors” starting at age 14 could be prosecuted as adults and face long sentences; The Hill reported his direct call for 14 to be the threshold for adult prosecution in that policy context ^[3]. Audacy’s reporting likewise summarized his recent view that criminals as young as 14 should be tried as adults, framing it as part of a law‑and‑order initiative ^[2]. These are policy positions about criminal responsibility, not comments about dating; conflating the two would mix distinct matters ^{[2] [3]}.

5. Competing perspectives and limits of the available reporting

The Independent and The Guardian show investigative and contemporaneous reporting that raises questions about Trump’s behavior around teenage girls ^{[1] [4]}. Other pieces (opinion sites, quote compilations) add interpretation or compile quotes but are not primary evidence ^{[6] [7] [8]}. The provided sources do not include a direct transcript or authenticated audio of the 1992 choir encounter in full, nor do they include a contemporaneous denial from Trump specifically about that quoted line in these excerpts; therefore some evidentiary gaps remain ^[1].

6. Bottom line for readers

Available reporting in these sources shows a contemporaneous news attribution that Trump told two 14‑year‑old girls “In a couple of years I’ll be dating you” ^[1]. Separate, clearer recent statements relate to his policy preference that some 14‑year‑olds be tried as adults ^{[2] [3]}. If you need primary‑source verification (audio or original Chicago Tribune wire text) or a Trump campaign response addressing the specific 1992 line, those items are not found in the current reporting provided here ^[1].