'I hate them': Trump criticizes Democrats in Iowa remarks
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Leader Live
25 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Trump criticised for using antisemitic term to describe money lenders
Mr Trump told reporters early on Friday after returning from an event in Iowa that he had 'never heard it that way' and 'never heard that' the term was considered an offensive stereotype about Jews. Shylock refers to the villainous Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's The Merchant Of Venice who demands a pound of flesh from a debtor. The Anti-Defamation League, which works to combat antisemitism, said in a statement that the term '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'. Democrat Joe Biden, while vice president, said in 2014 that he had made a 'poor choice' of words a day after he used the term in remarks to a legal aid group. Mr Trump's administration has said cracking down on antisemitism is a priority. His administration said it is screening for antisemitic activity when granting immigration benefits and its fight with Harvard University has centred on allegations from the White House that the school has tolerated antisemitism. But the Republican president has also had a history of playing on stereotypes about Jewish people. He told the Republican Jewish Coalition in 2015 that 'you want to control your politicians' and suggested the audience used money to exert control. Before he kicked off his 2024 presidential campaign, Mr Trump drew widespread criticism for dining at his Florida club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist. Last year, he made repeated comments accusing Jewish Americans who identify as Democrats of disloyalty because of the Democratic leaders' criticisms of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Critics said it perpetuated an antisemitic trope about Jews having divided loyalties and there being only one right way to be Jewish. On Thursday night in his speech in Iowa, Mr Trump used the term while talking about his signature legislation that was passed by Congress earlier in the day. '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,' he said. When a reporter later asked about the word's antisemitic association and his intent, Mr Trump said; 'No, I've never heard it that way. To me, a shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. I've never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I've never heard that.' The Anti-Defamation League said Mr Trump's use of the word 'underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States'.
The Independent
34 minutes ago
- The Independent
What does Shylock mean? Trump's antisemitic slur explained after president condemned
Donald Trump has been accused of using 'blatant and vile' antisemitic language at a campaign-style speech at a rally in Iowa. The president was speaking in Des Moines on Thursday, just hours after the House passed his cornerstone tax and spending bill. In his 'Salute to America' address, Trump railed against 'Shylocks' as he took a swipe at the Democrats for uniformly opposing the legislation. 'No death tax. No estate tax,' Trump began. 'No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker, and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people.' 'They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite,' he added. His comments drew condemnation from Jewish leaders, who claimed his use of the slur was no accident. Here's what that term means, and how people have reacted. What does Shylock mean and why is it offensive? The term 'Shylock' comes from a villainous character in the play by William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of flesh from another character, Antonio, if they cannot repay his loan. Ultimately, he is thwarted and forced to convert to Christianity. The play itself has generated debate for hundreds of years over whether it is antisemitic. While it is classified as one of Shakespeare's comedies, much of its tone is more dramatic and often divisive. The prominent American literary critic Harold Bloom once wrote: 'One would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to recognize that Shakespeare's grand, equivocal comedy 'The Merchant of Venice' is nevertheless a profoundly anti-Semitic work.' Shylock has been played in starkly different ways by performers over the years - sometimes as a repulsive character, driven by a desire for revenge, others as a more sympathetic figure. But many see Shylock as an offensive stereotype about Jewish people and money, and the name has become a slur to describe loansharks who lend money at extortionate rates. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the play was a favourite in Nazi Germany, with more than 50 productions put on in the country between 1933 and 1939. Kevin Madigan, a professor of Christian history at Harvard Divinity School pointed out that in one Berlin production of the play, the director ' planted extras in the audiences to shout and whistle when Shylock appeared, thus cuing the audience to do the same,' the Smithsonian magazine reported. What has the reaction to Trump's comments been? The Anti-Defamation League said the term '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. 'It underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country. Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.' Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs said Trump's use of the term was 'not an accident.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,' she tweeted. New York Representative Daniel Goldman said it was 'blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he's doing.' California Rep. Eric Swalwell called on the ADL to take action, adding that if they 'cannot condemn this, they should pack it up.' He later shared an update that the league had condemned the president's comments. Have other senior American leaders used that term? Yes, most notably Joe Biden when he was vice president in 2014. Speaking at a Legal Services Corporation event, he used the term to describe lenders taking advantage of service men and women while they were overseas. Later, Biden acknowledged it 'was a poor choice of words' after the ADL said the then-vice president 'should have been more careful'. What has Trump said about it? Flying back to Washington D.C. on Air Force One, the president said he had 'never heard that' the word was considered antisemitic, and offered his own definition of the term. 'I've never heard it that way,' he said. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.'
Daily Mail
38 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump responds to criticism after use of 'anti-Semitic term'
President Donald Trump pushed back at criticism for his use of an anti-Semitic term during his Iowa rally, saying he had 'never heard it that way.' He used the term while referencing unscrupulous bankers as he touted the impacts of his 'big, beautiful bill,' which Congress had approved hours earlier. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said. He sparked outrage over his use of 'shylocks,' which refers to loan sharks and is considered offensive, playing on stereotypes of Jews and money. Trump said he had never heard it used that way. 'I've never heard it that way,' he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after his rally. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.' Shylock is a Jewish character in William Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice.' He is portrayed as a villain and demands a 'pound of flesh' from another character who is unable to repay a loan. Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, slammed Trump for using an 'anti-Semitic stereotype.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous,' she wrote on social media. Trump has been accused of anti-Semitism but he is also close to the Jewish people. His daughter Ivanka converted to Jewish with her marriage to Jared Kushner. They are raising their children as Jewish. The president also has signed executive orders combating antisemitism and cracked down on universities that allowed pro-Palestinian protests on their campuses. Before his rally he met with Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American who was held hostage during the Gaza war. And, on Monday, he will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to push for an end to the war in Gaza. Trump is not the only politician to have used the word. Then-Vice President Joe Biden used it in a 2014 speech while discussing his son's experience serving in Iraq and meeting members of the military who were in need of legal help because of problems back at home.
