Trump ‘accidentally uses anti-Semitic term'
Mr Trump told reporters early Friday that he had 'never heard it that way' and did not know the term was considered an offensive stereotype about Jews.
The term refers to the villainous Jewish moneylender in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, who demands a pound of flesh from a debtor.
Mr Trump had used it at his rally in Iowa when talking about his 'big, beautiful bill' 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 anti-Semitic 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.'
'Extremely offensive and dangerous'
The Anti-Defamation League, which works to combat anti-Semitism, said in a statement that the term 'evokes a centuries-old anti-Semitic 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.
The Trump administration has cracked down on anti-Semitism, screening for perceived anti-Jewish rhetoric or support for Hamas when granting immigration benefits.
Mr Trump's battle with Harvard University has centred on allegations from the White House that the school has tolerated anti-Semitism.
It is not the first time Mr Trump has been accused 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.
'Words from leaders matter'
Last year, Mr Trump made repeated comments accusing Jewish Democrats of disloyalty because of the Democratic leaders' criticisms of Benjamin Netanyahu, prime minister of Israel.
Critics said it perpetuated an anti-Semitic trope about Jews having divided loyalties and there being only one right way to be Jewish.
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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