Trump Speaks Out After Using Term Considered as Antisemitic
When approached by a reporter on Friday about his use of the term that's 'widely viewed as an antisemitic' phrase, Trump was asked if he intended for the word 'to be used in that way.''No, I've never heard it that way. To me, 'Shylock' is somebody that's a moneylender at high rates. I've never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I've never heard that,' he said, before opening up to other questions on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews.
Trump had used the word when discussing taxes, telling an Iowa crowd: 'No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing some from, in some cases, a fine banker and in some cases Shylocks and bad people.'
Jewish advocacy groups came out to condemn the usage of the term, tracing its history back to the villain of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, which sees the dubious character demand a pound of flesh from a Christian merchant unable to pay his debt. The play has long been regarded as antisemitic and problematic.
Read More: How Trump Fits Into the Long, Fraught History of the Relationship Between Israel and American Jews
'The term 'Shylock' evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump's use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible,' said the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in a statement posted on social media. 'It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country.'
Former President Joe Biden used the term 'Shylocks' in a speech in 2014 when he was Vice President, but said afterwards that it was a 'poor choice of words.'
Trump's use of the term comes at a precarious time, as instances of antisemitism and hate crimes towards Jewish Americans have surged in recent years, especially since the start of the Israel-Hamas war. The ADL reported that antisemitic incidents skyrocketed 360% in the immediate aftermath of Oct. 7, 2023. Furthermore, according to the State of Antisemitism in America 2024 report, published in February 2025, 33% of American Jews said they have been the personal target of antisemitism, in-person or virtually, at least once over the past year.
An attack in Boulder, Colorado, in June and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy employees in Washington, D.C., in May, are two recent incidents of anti-Jewish violence that have rocked communities in the U.S.
Read More: The Rise of Antisemitism and Political Violence in the U.S.
Meanwhile, the Jewish Council on Public Affairs spoke out on Friday against Trump's "deeply dangerous" use of the term 'Shylocks,' calling it 'among the most quintessential antisemitic slurs in his remarks,' and claiming that the moment 'follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories.'
Jewish members of Congress have also come out to condemn the use of the word. Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, a Democrat, described the history of the term, calling it 'one of the most recognizable antisemitic slurs in the English language' that has 'fueled discrimination, hatred, and violence against Jews.'
'I condemn Donald Trump's dangerous use of this blatantly antisemitic slur and his long history of trafficking in antisemitic tropes," Nadler said. "I have often said that if Donald Trump was serious about fighting antisemitism, he could start with the antisemites in his own Administration... If Donald Trump were serious about fighting antisemitism, he could start with himself."
This is far from the first incident that has prompted concern in regards to Trump's use of antisemitic tropes.
Trump previously appeared to indulge an antisemitic trope of Jewish people controlling things behind the scenes. In 2015, at an event with Jewish donors, he told the crowd, 'I don't want your money. You want to control your own politician.'
Prominent Jewish voices also raised concerns about Trump's rhetoric in 2019, when he told reporters: "In my opinion, you vote for a Democrat, you're being very disloyal to Jewish people, and you're being very disloyal to Israel… and only weak people would say anything other than that."
His comment came shortly after he had said: "I think any Jewish people that vote for a Democrat, I think it shows either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty.'
Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL responded to Trump's comments of 'disloyalty,' saying the President had "made it clear he thinks Jews have a dual loyalty to Israel. This antisemitic trope has been used to persecute Jews for centuries and it's unacceptable to promote it.'
In 2021, Trump revisited that line of rhetoric, saying in an interview that 'people in this country that are Jewish no longer love Israel. I'll tell you the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
30 minutes ago
- Axios
Inside Trump's supercharged version of Bush's "War on Terror"
Mass surveillance. Pre-emptive military strikes in the Middle East. Shipping people to domestic and foreign prisons. Citing national security to hide information from the courts. Labeling people as "terrorists" as a political and legal strategy. Why it matters: Donald Trump became president in part by running against the legacy of George W. Bush, the last Republican in the White House before him. But now Trump is supercharging many of the post-9/11 legal, tactical and political strategies Bush used. Driving the news: Trump's push to deport "millions" of unauthorized immigrants and his strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities in particular have many parallels to Bush's "War on Terror." Trump's sending unauthorized immigrants to high-security prisons in the U.S. and abroad — sometimes denying them due process. Bush sent alleged terrorists — including undocumented people in the U.S. — to prisons around the world and the U.S. military facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The Trump administration is now using "Gitmo" for detainees it says have criminal histories. Trump preemptively, and unilaterally, attacked Iran with 14 bunker-buster bombs and launched missiles at an Iranian-backed proxy group in Yemen, killing dozens. He said he ordered the first attack out of concern Iran was close to gaining a nuclear weapon. Bush used a similar rationale for invading Iraq, though unlike Trump he got Congress' approval beforehand. The similarities don't stop there: Surveillance: Trump has enlisted tech company and defense contractor Palantir to help surveil and track unauthorized immigrants in the U.S. Bush enlisted telecom companies such as AT&T and Sprint for most of his domestic surveillance in the name of stopping terrorists. Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" provides billions to expand such programs. (Palantir told Axios that its software doesn't proactively collect data, and said its work is in accordance with the law.) Executive orders: Trump's administration has invoked some of Bush's executive orders made after 9/11 to justify his immigration actions, as Semafor pointed out. Rhetoric: Trump has labeled alleged members of Latin American gangs as "terrorists" and "alien enemies" to justify expedited deportations. He has said his administration is focused mostly on "the worst of the worst" — the same phrase Bush's administration used in its anti-terror campaign. Courts: Trump and Bush's administrations both concealed information from judges and court hearings using the "state secrets privilege," claiming there would be a national security risk for transparency. Habeas corpus: Trump has floated suspending habeas corpus — suspects' right to use the courts to fight unlawful detentions. Bush tried to do that in 2006 before it was overturned by the Supreme Court. Reality check: There are exceptions to the Trump-Bush parallels. Trump's immigration effort is far broader than Bush's, which focused largely on men suspected of having ties to terror groups. Trump's deportation efforts are targeted at millions more noncitizens in communities nationwide. Bush was also responding to the trauma of the 9/11 attacks and fearful of another mass attack. So far, Trump's attacks against Iran have been far more limited than the government-toppling invasions Bush embarked on. What they're saying: A spokesperson for Bush declined to comment. Trump's team didn't respond to a request for comment. "Trump is saying out loud what the Bush administration did behind closed doors," said Vince Warren, executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, the first organization to represent detainees sent to Guantanamo Bay after 9/11. Between the lines: Most Republicans have cheered Trump's aggressive immigration moves, while Democrats have been mostly muted in pushing back, recognizing that Joe Biden's handling of the border cost them politically. Some Trump supporters such as Tucker Carlson have criticized the president's military entanglements in the Middle East, given that Trump ran on a promise to avoid getting involved in wars such as those in Afghanistan and Iraq. Vice President Vance has said he understands such concerns and told NBC's "Meet the Press" last month that "the difference is that back then we had dumb presidents, and now we have a president who actually knows how to accomplish America's national security objectives. So this is not going to be some long, drawn-out thing." Flashback: The Bush administration made mistakes in who it detained and accused of links to terrorism in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. The Bush administration preemptively detained hundreds of Arab and Muslim immigrants in the U.S., and some men were sent to foreign prisons. An inspector general report in 2003 said: "Even in the hectic aftermath of the September 11 attacks, we believe the FBI should have taken more care to distinguish between aliens who it actually suspected of having a connection to terrorism," and those "who, while possibly guilty of violating federal immigration law, had no connection to terrorism."
The Hill
35 minutes ago
- The Hill
Israel sends delegation to Qatar for Gaza ceasefire talks with Hamas
Israel has said it is sending a delegation to Qatar for ceasefire talks with Hamas about the war in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday. 'In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages – on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to – be continued,' Netanyahu's office said in a thread on the social platform X Saturday. 'The negotiating team will leave tomorrow (Sunday) for the talks in Qatar,' the office added. President Trump and Netanyahu are expected to meet at the White House on Monday. On Friday, Hamas officials said that they had responded to a 60-day ceasefire proposal from Trump favorably but indicated that more talks were needed. Trump told reporters the day before that he expected a response from Hamas within '24 hours' about the agreement to temporarily halt fighting with Israel in Gaza. Trump announced earlier in the week that Israel had agreed to 'necessary conditions' for finalizing a ceasefire lasting two months with Hamas, which the U.S. designates as a terrorist group. 'My Representatives had a long and productive meeting with the Israelis today on Gaza. Israel has agreed to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60 Day CEASEFIRE, during which time we will work with all parties to end the War,' the president said on his Truth Social platform Tuesday. The war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza started on Oct. 7, 2023, when the militant group carried out a deadly attack in Israel that killed 1,200 Israelis, with 250 also being taken hostage. Over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed due to Israel's military operation in response, the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry has said.
Newsweek
40 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Fighter Jets Intercept Planes Breaching Trump No Fly Zone
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Five aircraft breached restricted airspace over New Jersey on Saturday, the U.S. military said, as President Donald Trump spent the weekend in Bedminster. Why It Matters The U.S. military polices the airspace around the president, including over Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort or his Bedminster golf course, when the Republican is in residence. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), made up of American and Canadian forces, has frequently intercepted aircraft that violate temporary restrictions in the airspace around the president. What To Know The First Air Force at Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base said in a statement on Saturday that a NORAD fighter jet had intercepted a "general aviation aircraft" over Bedminster at approximately 2:39 p.m. EDT. This is a broad term referring to non-commercial civilian aircraft. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, en route to Bedminster, New Jersey, on July 4, 2025. President Donald Trump boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, en route to Bedminster, New Jersey, on July 4, 2025. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin A temporary flight restriction, or TFR, was in place, the military said. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) puts out Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) to air crews, which are enforced by NORAD. TFRs are typically put in place during presidential visits. The fighter jet carried out what is known as a "headbutt maneuver" to get the attention of the civilian pilot before escorting the aircraft out of the area, the military said. This is a fairly typical maneuver for NORAD jets enforcing temporary restrictions in the airspace around where the president is. The NORAD aircraft was an F-16, a spokesperson told Reuters. The U.S. military had already reported three TFR violations earlier in the day, and a further incident later on Saturday brought the total to "five unauthorized incursions," according to the statement. The FAA, as of early Sunday, had restrictions in place from July 4 until July 6. Pilots in the air are responsible for making sure they check Notices to Airmen, or NOTAMs. Shortly after NORAD F-16 aircraft intercepted a civilian aircraft over Palm Beach, Florida, in early March, the command's chief, General Gregory Guillot, condemned what he termed the "excessive number of recent TFR violations." NORAD said at the time that in the less than two months since Trump's inauguration, NORAD had "responded to over 20 tracks of interest entering the Palm Beach, Florida TFR area." What People Are Saying The First Air Force said in a post to social media on Saturday: "These TFRs are in place for a reason. No excuses! Stay sharp, stay legal, and stay out of restricted airspace." What Happens Next NORAD will continue to enforce FAA flight restrictions.
