If you’ve spent any time on social media or watching the news over the last couple of years, you’ve likely seen the headlines. They’re everywhere. Some people scream that he’s a convicted rapist. Others claim he was totally exonerated. Honestly, the truth sits in a much more complicated legal gray area that involves a lot of "lawyer speak" and a very specific department store dressing room.
Basically, to understand what happened, we have to look at the civil trials involving writer E. Jean Carroll. These weren't criminal trials where someone goes to jail. They were civil lawsuits. And the outcomes were... well, they were messy.
The E. Jean Carroll Case and the Rape vs. Sexual Abuse Distinction
In May 2023, a jury in Manhattan sat down to decide if Donald Trump had assaulted E. Jean Carroll back in the mid-1990s. Carroll’s story was harrowing. She claimed that after a chance encounter at Bergdorf Goodman, they ended up in a dressing room where things turned violent. She explicitly used the word "rape" in her testimony.
But when the verdict came back, it was a bit of a head-scratcher for anyone not carrying a law degree. The jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse and defamation, but they didn't check the box for "rape."
Wait, what?
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Here’s the thing. Under New York law at the time of that trial, "rape" had a very narrow, technical definition. It specifically required proof of nonconsensual penetration by a penis. The jury wasn't convinced that specific detail was proven. However, they were convinced that he forcibly penetrated her with his fingers. In the eyes of New York’s penal code back then, that fell under "sexual abuse."
Judge Lewis Kaplan, who presided over the case, actually stepped in later to clarify this because Trump’s team started saying the verdict meant the rape claim was "false." Kaplan wasn't having it. He stated quite clearly that just because the jury didn't find "rape" under the narrow New York definition, it didn't mean he didn't "rape" her as the word is commonly understood. In fact, he wrote that the jury’s finding of sexual abuse meant they believed Trump had committed what most people, and even the federal government, would define as rape.
Why the "Sexual Abuse" Label Matters
It’s a bit of a linguistic trap. If you say "Trump was found liable for rape," supporters will point to the verdict sheet and say you're lying. If you say "he wasn't," critics will say you're ignoring the judge's own clarification.
- The Technicality: New York law was outdated. In 2024, Governor Kathy Hochul actually signed the "Rape is Rape" Act to close this exact loophole, but it wasn't in place during the 1990s incident.
- The Damage: The jury ordered Trump to pay $5 million in that first trial. You don't get hit with a $5 million bill for a simple misunderstanding.
- The Second Trial: Later, in January 2024, another jury tacked on a massive $83.3 million for defamation. Why? Because Trump kept calling her a liar even after the first jury said she was telling the truth.
A Pattern of Allegations Over Decades
Carroll isn't the only one. Not by a long shot. At least 26 other women have come forward with stories ranging from unwanted touching to outright assault.
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You’ve probably heard of the Access Hollywood tape. You know, the one where he talked about grabbing women "by the pussy." He called it "locker room talk," but for many of his accusers, it sounded like a confession of a pattern.
The Women Who Came Forward
During the Carroll trial, the judge allowed two other women to testify to show a "pattern of behavior."
- Jessica Leeds: She testified that Trump groped her on a flight in the 1970s. She said he was "like an octopus" and that his hands were everywhere.
- Natasha Stoynoff: A writer for People magazine who alleged that Trump pinned her against a wall and forcibly kissed her while she was at Mar-a-Lago for an interview in 2005.
Trump has denied every single one of these. He’s called the accusers "liars," claimed they weren't his "type," and suggested the cases were politically motivated "witch hunts."
The Current Legal Status in 2026
As of now, the legal battles are still churning. Trump’s team has spent years appealing the Carroll verdicts. In late 2024 and through 2025, several of these appeals were shot down. In September 2025, the Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the $83.3 million judgment, calling it "fair and reasonable."
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By January 2026, Trump even took the fight to the Supreme Court. It's a "hail mary" play. He’s arguing everything from presidential immunity to claims that the jury instructions were wrong.
What Most People Get Wrong About These Cases
There is a huge misconception that because these were civil cases, they "don't count" as much as criminal ones. That’s kinda missing the point. In a criminal case, the burden of proof is "beyond a reasonable doubt." In a civil case, it’s a "preponderance of the evidence"—basically, is it more likely than not?
The jury in the Carroll case looked at the evidence, listened to her, watched Trump’s deposition, and decided: Yes, it is more likely than not that this happened. Also, many people think the $83 million was just for the assault. It wasn't. Most of that money was a "punishment" (punitive damages) because he wouldn't stop attacking her character on social media. It was the court's way of trying to buy her silence from his insults.
Practical Steps for Staying Informed
If you're trying to navigate this without falling into a political rabbit hole, here is how you can verify the facts yourself:
- Read the actual court orders. Don't just trust a tweet or a snippet from a news host. Look for documents from the Southern District of New York (SDNY).
- Understand the "Adult Survivors Act." This was the specific New York law that allowed Carroll to sue so many years later. It opened a one-year window for old cases to be brought to court.
- Differentiate between "Liable" and "Guilty." Trump is "liable" for sexual abuse in a civil sense. He has not been found "guilty" of a crime in a criminal court regarding these specific allegations.
The legal system is slow, and the terminology is confusing. But the core fact remains: a jury of his peers listened to the evidence and found that Donald Trump did, in fact, sexually assault a woman in a dressing room decades ago. Whether you call that "rape" or "sexual abuse" depends on whether you're using a dictionary or an old New York law book.
To stay updated on the Supreme Court's decision regarding the appeals, you can monitor the official SCOTUS docket for Trump v. Carroll. You might also want to look into the 2024 New York legislative changes to see how sexual assault definitions have evolved since this case began.