On Friday, Jewish leaders voiced their disapproval of President Trump's use of the term "Shylock" during a rally in Iowa the previous night. The controversy arose from a discussion about taxes.
During the rally, Mr. Trump stated that farmers shouldn't be compelled to seek loans from "Shylocks and bad people" to cover estate taxes. He made this comment despite the fact that most Americans are not subject to those taxes. The estate tax threshold for a couple was set at $28 million in 2025.
Following the rally, when questioned about his remark, Mr. Trump claimed he was unaware that the word was considered an antisemitic slur, believing it simply referred to usury. The term originates from Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice," where the character Shylock is a Jewish moneylender.
Representative Dan Goldman, a Democrat from New York, condemned the statement on social media, calling it "blatant and vile antisemitism." He emphasized that anyone truly against antisemitism should address it regardless of the source.
7 Comments
ZmeeLove
He was talking about bad lenders, not Jewish people. Context matters.
Muchacho
He's not anti-Semitic. He's a businessman. Leave him alone.
Donatello
People are being overly sensitive and trying to manufacture outrage.
Michelangelo
It's just a word. People are making a mountain out of a molehill.
Raphael
Using a term from a play that reinforces antisemitic tropes is a deliberate choice, even if masked as ignorance".
KittyKat
He probably just saw it used as a synonym for a loan shark. Not a big deal.
Noir Black
This is a dangerous example of how quickly hate speech can be normalized. We need to stand against it.