Trump's Alleged Plan to Lower Age of Consent and Marriage to 14

The Rumor About Trump and the Age of Consent

In August 2025, a viral rumor spread across various online platforms claiming that U.S. President Donald Trump and Republican politicians were attempting to lower the age of consent for sexual activity or marriage to 14 years old. This claim was particularly associated with several states, including Missouri, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Wyoming, which some users alleged had recently drafted laws allowing children as young as 14 to marry adults.

The rumor gained traction through social media posts from content creators such as Vitus "V" Spehar, who runs the organization Under the Desk News, and Monte Mader, whose posts received millions of views on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. These posts often included claims about Trump's potential motives, linking them to his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. Some users suggested that the push to lower the age of consent was an attempt to protect Trump from legal consequences related to unproven allegations involving Epstein.

However, extensive searches on major search engines such as Bing, DuckDuckGo, Google, and Yahoo found no credible news sources confirming these claims. Additionally, reviews of Trump’s own social media platform, Truth Social, did not reveal any statements or announcements regarding lowering the age of consent. Similarly, there was no evidence that the four mentioned states had introduced legislation allowing 14-year-olds to marry adults.

State Legislation and Child Marriage

Contrary to the rumors, recent reports indicated that Missouri, New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Wyoming have taken steps to restrict child marriage rather than expand it. For example, Missouri’s governor signed a law banning child marriage after years of failed efforts. In New Hampshire, the state Senate rejected creating exceptions for 17-year-olds to marry. West Virginia banned marriage for children aged 15 or younger, while Wyoming took measures to limit child marriage.

The White House responded to the rumors by calling them “fake.” GOP National Press Secretary Kiersten Pels also denied the claims, stating that no state allows 14-year-olds to marry adults and that the false narrative about Republicans trying to change this has no factual basis.

Trump’s Comments on Crime in Washington, D.C.

Another part of the online discussion centered around Trump’s comments during a press conference in Washington, D.C., where he spoke about prosecuting teenagers as adults. He claimed that crime in the city was out of control, citing incidents involving minors as young as 14. However, fact-checkers noted that Trump did not mention a significant drop in homicides in 2024, which was the lowest since 2019 according to data from the Metropolitan Police Department.

PolitiFact examined some of Trump’s claims about crime in D.C. and found inconsistencies in his statements. Despite his rhetoric, the actual crime statistics did not support his assertions about the severity of the situation.

Additional Claims and Context

Other claims circulating online included the idea that Trump signed a law making couples in a five-year relationship automatically legally married. Another story highlighted Trump once referring to Epstein as a “terrific guy” and suggesting that both he and Epstein had an interest in younger women.

Despite these claims, there is no verified evidence supporting the notion that Trump or Republicans are working to lower the age of consent. Instead, the focus remains on verifying the accuracy of such rumors and ensuring that the public is informed about the true status of legislation in the United States. As more information emerges, further updates will be provided to clarify the facts.