How many women have publicly accused Donald Trump of sexual assault or harassment (including non-sworn statements)?
Executive summary
Public counts of women who have publicly accused Donald Trump of sexual assault, rape, or harassment vary because news organizations and researchers use different definitions (harassment vs. assault), include non-sworn statements or anonymous confirmations, and update lists as new allegations surface; reporting has placed the total anywhere from the mid‑teens to dozens — commonly cited figures include 16, about two dozen (≈24–27), at least 25–27, and higher tallies such as 69 when broader definitions are used [1] [2] [3] [4] [5].
1. Why the totals diverge: definitions, time and methodology
Different outlets count differently: PBS and some earlier timelines focused on explicit accusations of assault and reported 16 accusers as a baseline [1], while investigative roundups by The 19th and outlets covering later allegations summarized “about two dozen” women (roughly 24) and variants near 26–27 as additional women publicly spoke out after 2016 and into 2024 [2] [6] [4]. Other compilations that broaden the category to include a wider range of “sexual misconduct” — encompassing groping, non‑consensual kissing, harassment, and related claims, including some corroborated only by anonymous sources or press reports — have pushed the tally much higher; Jessica Bennett’s New York Times‑based accounting, cited in Baptist News, reported as many as 69 women when using that expansive framing [5].
2. The mid‑range consensus used by many outlets (≈25–27)
Several reputable outlets and lists converge around mid‑twenties: Wikipedia’s aggregated list recorded “at least 25” women in one summary [7], The Guardian’s reporting listed “no fewer than 25” before later additions [3], Business Insider compiled “at least 26” accusers in its 2017–2023 piece [4], and news reports following new 2024 allegations placed the tally at roughly 27, for example after Stacey Williams’ public statements [8] [6]. These mid‑range totals reflect the practice of counting named, on‑the‑record accusations spanning allegations of harassment, groping and assault across decades.
3. The lower tallies: stricter legal framing and verified assault claims
Some outlets emphasize allegations that meet narrower legal or journalistic thresholds (explicit descriptions amounting to sexual assault or rape, sworn statements, police reports or civil suits), producing smaller numbers; PBS’s 2019 recap cited 16 women accused of various forms of sexual assault, including claims that meet legal definitions of rape, while ABC News’ 2020 list acknowledged “at least 18” based on its criteria [1] [9]. Those counts often exclude broader harassment claims, anonymous confirmations, or later allegations that surfaced in popular media rather than in sworn testimony or lawsuits.
4. High tallies and why they appear (69 and similar figures)
Higher numbers, such as the “up to 69” figure reported in commentary and republished outlets, come from counting any allegation labeled “sexual misconduct” — including workplace harassment, unsolicited touching, unwanted advances, and corroborating reports from third parties — and from aggregating decades of peripheral complaints and anonymous confirmations; Jessica Bennett’s extended New York Times essay, cited by Baptist News, used such a broad lens to reach the larger number [5]. These comprehensive tallies make no single legal determination about each claim, which explains why they diverge sharply from narrower compilations.
5. What is verifiable from the provided reporting and the limits of this account
From the supplied sources, the most defensible summary is that reporting has placed the public number of accusers in a range: earlier strict tallies recorded between 16 and 18, many mainstream compilations list roughly 25–27 named women, and some broader aggregations report totals far higher [1] [9] [3] [4] [6] [5]. This analysis cannot certify a single definitive count because the available sources differ in scope, date, and methodology, and new allegations or reclassifications after the cited reports could change the totals; it also cannot adjudicate the truth of individual allegations beyond the legal outcomes the sources report (for example, E. Jean Carroll’s civil judgment is noted in reporting) [10].