Friends of a journalist who alleges Donald Trump raped her in a New York department store two decades ago have come forward to corroborate portions of her account.

E Jean Carroll, an advice columnist for Elle magazine, claims the US president forced himself on her in a changing room at New York’s Bergdorf Goodman department store in 1995 or 1996.

Mr Trump has insisted the incident “never happened” and that Ms Carroll was “not my type”; a defence he has used against other women who accuse him of sexual assault.

In an upcoming book about “hideous men” in her life, Ms Carroll, 76, describes a “colossal struggle” in which Mr Trump entered her “halfway – or completely, I’m not certain”.

Ms Carroll said she never reported the alleged incident to police, though she did tell two friends, both of whom were initially reluctant to come forward publicly.

Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Show all 16 1 /16 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump E Jean Carroll Author Carroll alleges that Trump pinned her against a wall and forced himself upon her in the changing rooms of a Manhattan department store in the mid-90s Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Kristin Anderson Anderson alleges that Mr Trump touched her genitals while at a club in the early 1990s Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Leeds Leeds told the New York Times that Mr Trump groped her on an airplane in the 1980s BBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Natasha Stoynoff Stoynoff alleged that Mr Trump forcefully kissed her before an interview at his Mar-A-Lago estate in 2005 Everipedia Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Karena Virginia Virginia alleges Mr Trump groped her in 1998 outside of the US Open tennis tournament BBC News Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Temple Taggart Taggart claims Mr Trump gave her a kiss without consent during a rehearsal for a 1997 Miss USA pageant Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Summer Zervos The former Apprentice contestant alleged that Mr Trump kissed and groped her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2007 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Alva Johnson A former staffer for Trump's campaign, Johnson alleges that Trump forcibly tried to kiss her after a rally in August 2016 MSNBC Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jennifer Murphy The former Apprentice contestant said Mr Trump "surprise kissed" her - but she said it did not bother her Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jill Harth The makeup artist accused Mr Trump of "attempted rape" while in his daughter's room in 1997 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray alleges Mr Trump groped her at Mar-A-Lago in 2013 AP Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Rachel Crooks Crooks says that kissed her on the cheeks and mouth when she introduced herself to him in 2005 Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Mindy McGillivray McGillivray claims that Trump grabbed her backside at Mar-a-Lago in 2006 CNN Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Cassandra Searles The former Miss Washington alleges that Trump repeatedly grabbed her backside and invited her to his hotel room Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Jessica Drake Drake claims that when she and two other women arrived to Trump's hotel room at his invitation, he arrived at the door in pyjamas and tightly hugged and kissed each of the woman without permission Getty Every woman to make sexual assault claims against Donald Trump Ninni Laaksonen The former Miss Finland claims that Trump squeezed her behind before they appeared together on the Late Show with David Letterman in 2006 EPA

But in an interview with the New York Times, the two friends, Lisa Birnbach and Carol Martin, decided to speak out by discussing their recollections of the event in a conversation with Ms Carroll and Times journalist Megan Twohey.

In excerpts of the discussion, featured in The Daily podcast, Ms Birnbach recalls being at home in New York with her two children when she receives a call from Ms Carroll.

"She's breathless and laughing," Ms Birnbach says, noting that as the conversation goes further the laughing stops.

"I remember her saying repeatedly, 'He pulled down my tights', which got me to think that was as far as it went."

Addressing Ms Carroll, she says: "Honestly you did say, 'He put his penis in me', and I said, 'What? He raped you?'"

Ms Birnback, an author best known for co-writing The Official Preppy Handbook, says Ms Carroll just kept repeating Mr Trump had pulled down her tights.

Ms Twohey told the podcast Ms Birnbach recalled telling Ms Carroll she was describing rape and that she should go to the police.

“It was horrible, we fought and I said, ‘Let’s go to the police’,” Ms Birnbach says, to which Ms Carroll said she just wanted to go home.

Stephen Colbert condemns 'credible terrible' Trump rape allegation

Ms Carroll says in the discussion she felt at the time she had somehow encouraged it and had partial responsibility for the alleged incident.

Ms Martin, who Ms Carroll says she phoned between one and three days afterwards, says she got the sense her friend “was handling it” and that she was still in shock.

"I said, 'Don't tell anybody', I wouldn't tell anybody this," says former TV news anchor Ms Martin, reasoning – according to Ms Twohey – the risks in tackling Mr Trump’s financial might were too high.

It was advice Ms Carroll says she ultimately followed.

Ms Carroll is not the first woman to accuse the president of sexual assault or misconduct. During the 2016 presidential campaign, at least 16 woman levelled allegations at him. These included groping, touching and other inappropriate actions.

Mr Trump and his spokespeople have denied all the allegations.

In her memoir, Ms Carroll concludes her account by asking herself why she had not come forward with the claim until now.