Latest news with #shylock
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- 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.
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump responds after sparking outrage for use of 'anti-Semitic term' during tax cuts celebration
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. 'I mean these Shylocks who took advantage of, um, these women and men while overseas,' Biden said at the time. He, too, was heavily criticized. Biden ultimately apologized for his words.
CTV News
a day ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump said he didn't know an offensive term he used in a speech is considered antisemitic
U.S. President Donald Trump dances after speaking at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, Thursday, July 3, 2025, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump says he didn't know the term 'shylock' is considered antisemitic when he used it in a speech to describe unscrupulous moneylenders. Trump told reporters early 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. Trump's administration has made cracking down on antisemitism a priority. His administration said it is screening for antisemitic activity when granting immigration benefits and its fight with Harvard University has centered 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, Trump drew widespread criticism for dining at his Florida club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist. Last year, Trump 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, 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, 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 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.' Michelle L. Price, The Associated Press
Washington Post
a day ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Trump says he didn't know an offensive term he used in a speech is considered antisemitic
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump says he didn't know the term 'shylock' is considered antisemitic when he used it in a speech to describe unscrupulous moneylenders. Trump told reporters early 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.
