Fact Check: trump raped a little girl

Fact Check: "Trump raped a little girl"

What We Know

The claim that "Trump raped a little girl" is misleading and lacks substantiation. The most notable case related to Donald Trump and allegations of sexual misconduct involves E. Jean Carroll, who accused Trump of sexually assaulting her in a department store in the mid-1990s. A jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll and awarded her $5 million in damages, but the jury's verdict did not classify the incident as rape in the legal sense defined by New York law (AP News, NPR).

The jury concluded that the evidence presented made it more likely than not that Trump had sexually abused Carroll, but this does not equate to the claim of him raping a child. The term "little girl" implies a minor, which is not applicable in Carroll's case, as she was an adult at the time of the alleged incident.

Analysis

The claim conflates different allegations and misrepresents the legal findings related to Trump. While Trump has faced numerous allegations of sexual misconduct from various women over the years, including accusations of inappropriate behavior and assault, the specific claim of raping a child is not supported by the evidence available.

In the Carroll case, the jury found Trump liable for sexual abuse, which the judge clarified as a form of sexual assault, but not necessarily fitting the strict legal definition of rape under New York law (Washington Post). Furthermore, the allegations against Trump do not include any claims involving a minor, and the use of the term "little girl" in this context is misleading and inflammatory.

The sources discussing Trump's sexual misconduct allegations, including a comprehensive list of accusations against him, do not support the specific claim of him raping a child (Wikipedia). The reliability of these sources varies, but they generally provide a factual basis for understanding the nature of the allegations against Trump.

Conclusion

Verdict: False. The claim that "Trump raped a little girl" is not substantiated by evidence and misrepresents the legal findings related to Donald Trump's sexual misconduct allegations. The allegations against Trump, particularly those involving E. Jean Carroll, do not involve a minor and do not support the claim as stated.