The president spoke at a rally that will begin a year-long celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
Trump calls bankers “Shylock” during the Iowa event
President Donald Trump is triggering a response after calling the bankers “Shylock” during an event in Iowa.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump described some bankers as the widely seen term “shylock” in the July 3rd Iowallery, when he kicked the year’s celebration of America’s 250th birthday.
When asked about it later that night by a reporter, Trump said he “had never heard of it.”
“The meaning of Shylock is someone who is a money lender at a high rate,” Trump said after he stepped out of Air Force 1. “You see it differently. I’ve never heard of it.”
The anti-bigotry group quickly denounced Trump, saying that the president had a long history of making anti-Semitic remarks and should have known better.
“Shylock is one of the most typical anti-Semitism stereotypes,” says Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the nonpartisan civil servants council and an anti-Semitism and extremism expert.
“This is not an accident,” Spitalnick said in an X post.
Anti-ethnic reflections fighting anti-Semitism and racism around the world “causing the plunder of centuries-old anti-Semitism on highly aggressive and dangerous Jews and greed.”
“President Trump’s use of terminology is very troublesome and irresponsible,” ADL also said in his X post.
“Destroyed many families” “Shylock and the bad people”
Trump’s remarks were a campaign-style rally speech at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, “a salute American celebration.” Many of his speeches celebrated the passing of his massive budget settlement bill early in the day.
“There is no death tax, there is no real estate tax. You don’t go to the bank and sometimes borrow from a great banker.
“But we did the opposite,” Trump said before explaining the budget bill passed along the House and Senate party lines.
The term Shylock dates back centuries. In William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice,” the main antagonist was a character named Shylock, a ruthless and recharged Venice Jewish money lender.
Joe Biden also used the term and apologized.
Then President Joe Biden also used the term in 2014, describing the uncruel banker who responded to the US military overseas as “these shylocks that exploited these women and men.”
“Shylock represents medieval stereotypes about Jews and continues to characterise them aggressively to this day,” said Abraham Foxman, national director of ADL. “The Vice President should have been more cautious.”
Foxman later announced that Biden reached out to him over the phone to apologise.
“He not only opposed anti-Semitism and prejudice, but he also has the courage and candidness to admit mistakes and use it as an opportunity to learn and teach about the harmful effects of stereotypes,” Foxman said of Biden.
“There was clearly no malicious intention here,” Foxman added.
Biden has also issued a public apology.
“Abe Foxman has been my friend and advisor for a long time,” Biden said in a statement. “He was right, that was a poor choice of words.”
History of Trump’s remarks called anti-Semitism
Trump portrays himself as a solid Jewish advocate.
Since taking office, he has led active campaigns at Harvard University and other well-known American universities to eradicate anti-Semitism. Critics have said they will suppress freedom of speech by those who criticize Israel in the war in Gaza.
Trump has a long history of making statements that Jewish leaders, historians and civil rights groups interpreted as reinforcing anti-Semitism stereotypes, including jokes about being cheap and offensive in business and accusations of being largely loyal to Israel. He is also associated with known anti-Semies.
In 2015, he told the Republican Jewish Union, “Because you’re a Jewish daughter like me,” and “I’m a negotiator like you. We’re a negotiator.”
In the president’s first campaign in 2016, Trump tweeted the image of his democratic rival Hillary Clinton, superimposed with six stars, widely interpreted as the star of David. The ADL called it “blatantly anti-Semitism.”
Trump also said that Jews who vote for Democrats “difficult to their religion” and “should look into their heads.”
And in November 2022, Trump hosted far-right extremists and Holocaust Denier Nick Fuentes, as well as rapper ye, known as Kanye West at his Mar Arago club.
Both West and Fuentes were eager supporters of Trump, who repeatedly made anti-Semitic remarks. Fuentes in particular is a prominent figure among the ideas of far-right white nationalists, openly promoting anti-Semitic and racist rhetoric.
“Prejudice, hatred, anti-Semitism is absolutely no place in America — including Mar Lago,” Andrew Bates, a spokesman for the Biden administration’s White House, told CNN in a statement. “The Holocaust denial is disgusting and dangerous and must be forced to be condemned.”
In response to the intense criticism, Trump told the West, “he called me to have dinner. Shortly after that, he unexpectedly appeared with three friends, but I knew nothing.”
