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.
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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.
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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.
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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'.
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The Herald Scotland
31 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Trump calls bankers a term long considered antisemitic
"The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates," Trump said after disembarking from Air Force One. "You view it differently. I've never heard that." Anti-bigotry groups were quick to condemn Trump, saying the president has a long history of making antisemitic remarks and should have known better. "Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes," said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonpartisan Jewish Council for Public Affairs and an expert on antisemitism and extremism. "This is not an accident," Spitalnick said in a post on X. "It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories -- and it's deeply dangerous." The Anti-Defamation League, which combats antisemitism and racism worldwide, 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," the ADL said, also in a post on X. "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." 'Shylocks and bad people' who 'destroyed a lot of families' Trump's remark came at a campaign-style rally speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines for a "Salute to America Celebration." Much of his speech celebrated the passage of his massive budget reconciliation bill earlier in the day. "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... they destroyed a lot of families," Trump said. "But we did the opposite," Trump said, before describing the budget bill passed along party lines in the House and Senate. The term Shylock dates back centuries. In William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice," the main antagonist was a character named Shylock, a Venetian Jewish moneylender portrayed as greedy, ruthless and charging high interest rates on loans. Joe Biden used the term too, then apologized Then-Vice President Joe Biden also used the term in 2014, describing unscrupulous bankers catering to American troops overseas as "these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men." "Shylock represents the medieval stereotype about Jews and remains an offensive characterization to this day," Abraham Foxman, the ADL's national director said at the time. "The Vice President should have been more careful." Foxman later announced that Biden had reached out to him by phone to apologize. "Not only has he been a stalwart against anti-Semitism and bigotry, but he has the courage and forthrightness to admit a mistake and use it as an opportunity to learn and to teach others about the harmful effects of stereotypes," Foxman said of Biden. "Clearly there was no ill-intent here," Foxman added, "but Joe and I agreed that perhaps he needs to bone up on his Shakespeare." Biden also issued a public apology. "Abe Foxman has been a friend and advisor of mine for a long time," Biden said in a statement. "He's correct, it was a poor choice of words." Trump's history of remarks called antisemitic Trump has portrayed himself as a staunch advocate for Jews. Since retaking office, he has led an aggressive campaign to root out antisemitism at Harvard and other high-profile American universities - a move that some critics said curbs freedom of speech by those criticizing Israel for its war in Gaza. Trump has a long history of making statements that Jewish leaders, historians and civil rights organizations have interpreted as reinforcing antisemitic stereotypes, including jokes about being cheap and aggressive in business and accusations of them being primarily loyal to Israel. He also has associated with known antisemites. In 2015, he told the Republican Jewish Coalition, "You just like me because my daughter happens to be Jewish," and "I'm a negotiator like you folks; we're negotiators." During his first campaign for president in 2016, Trump tweeted an image of Democratic rival Hillary Clinton superimposed on dollar bills with a six-pointed star, widely interpreted as a Star of David. The ADL called it "blatantly antisemitic." Trump also has said any Jew who votes for Democratic "hates their religion" and "should have their head examined" because he has been so supporitive of Israel, which he has referred to as "your country" when addressing a Jewish audience. And in November 2022, Trump hosted far-right extremist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes - and Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West - at his Mar-a-Lago club. Both West and Fuentes were avid supporters of Trump who repeatedly had made antisemitic remarks. Fuentes in particular is a prominent figure among the far-right, peddling white nationalist ideas and openly promoting antisemitic and racist rhetoric. "Bigotry, hate, and antisemitism have absolutely no place in America - including at Mar-A-Lago," Biden administration White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN in a statement. "Holocaust denial is repugnant and dangerous, and it must be forcefully condemned." In response to heavy criticism, Trump said West "called me to have dinner at Mar-a-Lago. Shortly thereafter, he unexpectedly showed up with three of his friends, whom I knew nothing about."
The Herald Scotland
32 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Gen Z takes being American for granted
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The Guardian
39 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Wild kangaroo harvests are labelled ‘needlessly cruel' by US lawmakers – but backed by Australian conservationists
The bill, introduced into the US Senate last month, came with plenty of emotive and uncompromising language. 'The mass killing of millions of kangaroos to make commercial products is needless and inhumane,' said the Democratic senator Tammy Duckworth, as she introduced the Kangaroo Protection Act to ban the sale and manufacture of kangaroo products in the US. With the high-profile former Democratic presidential nominee Cory Booker as a co-sponsor, the two senators said Australia's commercial kangaroo harvest was 'unnecessarily cruel' and their proposed ban would protect 'millions of wild kangaroos and their innocent babies who are needlessly killed every year'. Backed by animal rights campaigners, the move is the latest in a string of attempts in recent years in the US Congress to ban kangaroo products. A similar push is ongoing in Europe. Last week the Center for a Humane Economy, which runs the Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign, announced British sportswear brand Umbro was the latest to join the likes of Nike, Adidas, Puma and Asics in phasing out the use of so-called 'k-leather' that has most often been used in some of their brand's football boots. But the success of the campaigns, and the ongoing criticism of Australia's regulated kangaroo harvests, hides a complex story and one which, Prof Chris Johnson says, is 'infuriating' for many Australian conservationists and ecologists. 'The public advocacy by opponents has been very effective, but unfortunately it's all wrong, is conceptually muddled and it's not based on knowledge or experience,' says Johnson, a kangaroo expert and professor of wildlife conservation at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage. The Nationals leader and shadow agriculture minister, David Littleproud, accused the governing Labor party of failing to 'dispel misconceptions around the use and overseas imports of kangaroo products'. 'This has allowed animal activists to spread false information that kangaroos are being killed solely for [soccer] cleats. 'It's important to note that without a commercial industry, conservation culling is still needed to occur to manage populations. 'We know kangaroos can breed easily and are not a threatened species. The practical reality of import bans in the US would be detrimental to kangaroo populations in Australia.' The government did not answer questions sent to the agriculture minister, Julie Collins. Since European colonisation, farmers have grown pasture for livestock and added watering holes across Australia's landscape, both of which help kangaroos to survive and, in times of good rainfall, have backed controls and culls of the kangaroo's natural predator – the dingo. Johnson says grazing from abundant kangaroos can take away areas that other native animals such as bandicoots and dunnarts use to hide from introduced predators like cats and foxes. 'Overgrazing can be a serious ecological threat,' he says. 'The harvest protects other native species because it protects vegetation. If the kangaroo program fails, that would be a contributor to increased extinction threat.' Regulated commercial kangaroo harvesting takes place every year in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia. Since 2010, data collated by the Australian government shows that between 1.1 million and 1.7 million kangaroos have been killed annually under the commercial harvest. Harvest quotas are set at about 15% of the estimated kangaroo population, but the data suggests less than a third of the quota is used up each year. Kangaroo harvesting takes place at night, and a national code of practice says the animals should be killed by a bullet to the head. Ben Pearson, Australia and New Zealand country director for World Animal Protection, says this method of killing, coupled with a lack of oversight of both commercial and non-commercial kangaroo culling, which is also done under licence, is a concern. 'In other animal farming industries there is a requirement for humane slaughter which includes stunning before slaughter,' he says. 'With wild harvesting, kangaroos are shot outright and evidence suggests that many are not killed instantaneously, instead being merely wounded and thus suffering from gunshot wounds. Kangaroos that are wounded but escape could suffer over a prolonged period.' Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion A 2021 inquiry in the New South Wales parliament on kangaroo welfare found there was a lack of monitoring at the 'point of kill' for both commercial and non-commercial shooting, but the state government supported only two of the 23 recommendations in full. The inquiry heard that kangaroo kills were deeply distressing for some Aboriginal people, and animal rights groups said kangaroos had a right to live freely without human interference. If female kangaroos are shot, harvesters can find young joeys still alive in the mother's pouch. A national code of practice for commercial kangaroo harvesting recommends joeys are killed using blunt force trauma to the back of the head, and suggests using the tray of a utility vehicle as a suitable immovable object. It's a method which Pearson says is 'barbaric'. 'On an ethical level, we are opposed to the killing of kangaroos for non-essential items like football boots, particularly given alternatives exist and are in widespread use,' he says. Neal Finch is a wildlife ecologist and executive officer of the Australian Wild Game Industry Council, which represents kangaroo harvesters. He says the codes of practice of the kind covering kangaroo harvesting do not exist in other jurisdictions. 'It is not that we are inhumane. It is that we are exemplary,' he claims. 'Over 6 million native deer are killed in the USA every year. Over-abundant herbivores need management. The code of practice for shooting kangaroos requires a shot to the brain. Virtually all deer shot in the USA are shot in the chest. 'The reason campaigners can quote how many kangaroos are killed is because we actually publish that information,' he said. Kangaroo numbers are known to boom in times of good rainfall and then crash during droughts – swings that mirror Australia's variable climate. Between 2010 and 2023, official estimates of kangaroo numbers across four states show numbers fell as low as 25 million in 2010 and went as high as 53 million in 2013. Latest figures estimate a kangaroo population of 34 million. 'We either choose to sustainably harvest these kangaroo populations or we will see kangaroos starve in their many thousands during droughts, and habitats will be overgrazed and degraded,' says Prof Euan Ritchie, a wildlife ecologist at Deakin University. 'It's a choice.' As uncomfortable as the thought may be for many, Johnson says that in lean times, many kangaroo deaths may not be as short and sharp as one from a harvester's gun. 'The natural alternatives are being killed by a dingo or dying by starvation,' he says. 'There's less suffering entailed by the harvest than by either of those alternatives.'
