How many sexual assault cases has donald trump settled out of court?
Executive summary
Available reporting documents numerous sexual-assault and sexual-misconduct allegations against Donald Trump, including at least one civil jury finding that he sexually abused columnist E. Jean Carroll and ordered $5 million in damages, with appeals upholding that verdict [1]. Sources report “at least 16” to “at least 25” women have accused Trump of sexual misconduct across decades; comprehensive, consistently reported counts of settled out-of-court sexual-assault cases are not provided in the available sources [2] [3].
1. What the sources actually say about settlements vs. lawsuits
The documents provided catalog many allegations and legal actions but do not offer a definitive list of “sexual assault cases settled out of court” by Trump. Public reporting records lawsuits filed, jury verdicts (notably the E. Jean Carroll civil verdict), and claims circulating on social media that have been debunked — but none of the cited sources produce a verified tally of out‑of‑court settlements for sexual‑assault claims (available sources do not mention a verified number of out‑of‑court settlements) [1] [4].
2. The best‑documented civil finding: E. Jean Carroll
A federal jury in May 2023 found Trump liable for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll and ordered $5 million in damages; that verdict was affirmed on appeal and has been the subject of subsequent appeals to higher courts [1]. This was a jury verdict, not an out‑of‑court settlement, and media coverage treats it as a landmark civil finding rather than a confidential resolution [1] [5].
3. Accusations, lawsuits, and public counts
Multiple outlets and aggregations list dozens of women who have accused Trump of sexual misconduct across decades. One source notes “at least 16” women in a 2019 PBS recap and another source states “at least 25” women since the 1970s in a broader compilation [3] [2]. These counts mix allegations, lawsuits, and public accusations; they do not equate to proven cases or to settlements, and they do not identify which — if any — were resolved through confidential settlements [2] [3].
4. Social‑media claims and fact‑checks about settlements
A specific circulating list that claimed Trump made multiple settlements involving children was investigated and found to lack supporting evidence by fact‑checkers; Politifact reported no proof for those claims [4]. That illustrates the prevalence of unverified lists and the need to rely on court records and reputable reporting rather than social posts [4].
5. Known litigation beyond Carroll — lawsuits, not necessarily settlements
Reporting and legal summaries describe several civil suits involving accusations (for example, allegations from Jill Harth and others) and a range of legal activity around Trump — countersuits, defamation claims, and appeals — but these accounts generally document filings and trials rather than transparent settlement totals [6] [7]. In short, many allegations have produced litigation, but available sources do not convert those into a quantified number of out‑of‑court settlements.
6. Why a precise public count is elusive
Out‑of‑court settlements, when they occur, are often confidential and not publicly itemized; aggregated lists circulating online are frequently unverified and have been debunked in some instances [4]. Court judgments (like the Carroll verdict) are public and therefore easier to count; those are not settlements [1]. Because available sources do not supply a verified list of confidential settlements, no trustworthy public total can be produced from the material you provided (available sources do not mention a verified total number of out‑of‑court settlements).
7. Competing viewpoints and implications for public understanding
Journalistic sources emphasize documented allegations and public court outcomes; fact‑checkers warn that social‑media lists often conflate assertions, unproven claims, and alleged settlements without evidence [2] [4]. Supporters of Trump point to lack of criminal convictions and to his denials; reporting of jury findings (Carroll) and appellate rulings indicate civil liability in at least that one case — a distinction the sources make repeatedly [1] [5].
8. What a reader should take away
Do not equate the number of accusations with verified settlements. The only clearly documented civil finding for sexual abuse in the provided sources is the E. Jean Carroll jury verdict and related damages [1]. Claims of multiple secret settlements have been circulated and in some instances debunked; the sources you supplied do not provide a verified count of out‑of‑court sexual‑assault settlements by Trump [4] [1].
Limitations: This analysis relies solely on the supplied sources and their scope; additional investigative reporting, court filings, or financial records outside this set may contain further or clarifying information (available sources do not mention additional verified settlement totals).