A New York psychologist has publicly accused President Donald Trump of sexually abusing her when she was a child. The allegations have not been independently verified, and the White House has denied them.
Dr. Larissa Portnoff, a clinical psychologist who says she competed in Miss Teen USA, shared a video online describing herself as one of Trump’s alleged childhood victims. Trump’s company owned the pageant during part of the period when she says the alleged abuse occurred.
What Portnoff alleges
In the video, Portnoff says the alleged abuse began when she was about eight and continued until she was around 12. She also says she was targeted again as a teenager and describes later interactions with Trump and people she associates with him as exploitative.
Portnoff further alleges that, over the past year, someone she believes was acting as a political intermediary contacted her. She says an invitation to a New York Yankees game felt like an attempt to target or intimidate her. She also claims her identity was exposed after records connected to an earlier Jane Doe report were accessed.
Portnoff says she has brought her concerns to a Senate office and that her reports were referred to the attorney general. Those details have not been independently confirmed in public records. She has also said she received threats and is asking anyone with relevant information to come forward.
White House response
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis rejected the allegations in a statement to Snopes, calling them false and saying Trump had never met or heard of Portnoff.
The claims have not been tested in court. Fact-checkers said they could not independently verify Portnoff’s account or determine from public information whether an official investigation is underway. No public court case tied to these allegations has been identified.
The story has drawn attention in part because Trump has faced other sexual misconduct allegations, which he has denied. In a separate civil case, a New York jury found him liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll and awarded her $5 million; an appeals court upheld that verdict.
Portnoff’s allegations remain unverified, and the White House has denied them. They should not be presented as established fact.