WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump described some bankers as “shylocks,” a term widely seen as an antisemitic slur, at a July 3 Iowa rally kicking off his yearlong celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
When asked by reporters about it later that evening, Trump said he has “never heard that” the word is 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.”
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