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Fact check: Did donald trump walk into a changing room to look at little girls?

Checked on July 16, 2025

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, there is substantial documentation of allegations that Donald Trump did enter changing rooms where young contestants were present. Multiple sources confirm that five Miss Teen USA contestants reported that Trump walked into their dressing room in 1997 when some contestants were as young as 15 years old [1] [2].

Trump himself admitted to entering dressing rooms during a 2005 Howard Stern interview, where he bragged that he could "get away with things like that" because he owned the pageants [3]. However, his original statement on the Howard Stern show specifically referenced Miss USA and Miss Universe pageants with adult contestants, not Miss Teen USA [1].

Specific named accusers include:

  • Mariah Billado, who recalled Trump entering the Miss Teen USA dressing room [4]
  • Bridget Sullivan and Tasha Dixon, who alleged Trump walked into changing rooms while contestants were naked or partially dressed [2]

The sources consistently document that multiple women reported Trump entering dressing rooms while they were changing, with contestants being undressed at the time [3] [5].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question focuses specifically on "little girls," but the analyses reveal important distinctions:

  • Trump's own admissions on Howard Stern were about adult pageants (Miss USA and Miss Universe), not specifically about the teen pageant [1]
  • The Miss Teen USA contestants were teenagers (some as young as 15), not "little girls" in the prepubescent sense [1] [2]
  • Trump has consistently denied wrongdoing and claimed he had "no idea" who some accusers were, calling allegations "totally false" [6] [7]

Trump and his supporters would benefit from framing these as unsubstantiated allegations, while his political opponents and accusers would benefit from having these incidents accepted as factual misconduct.

The analyses also reference E. Jean Carroll's separate allegation of sexual assault in a department store dressing room, which is distinct from the pageant allegations [6] [7] [8].

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains potential bias through:

  • Inflammatory language: Using "little girls" rather than the more accurate "teenage contestants" could be intended to make the allegations sound more severe
  • Lack of specificity: The question doesn't distinguish between Trump's admitted behavior at adult pageants versus the specific allegations regarding teen contestants
  • Presumptive framing: The question assumes the behavior occurred rather than asking whether allegations exist

The question also omits Trump's denials and the distinction between his own admissions about adult pageants versus the specific allegations about the teen pageant [1] [6] [7].

Want to dive deeper?
What were the circumstances surrounding the changing room allegations against Donald Trump?
How did Donald Trump respond to the changing room allegations?
Were there any witnesses to the alleged incident in the changing room?
What were the outcomes of any investigations into the changing room allegations against Trump?
How did the changing room allegations affect Donald Trump's public image?