Donald Trump used the antisemitic term “Shylocks” while speaking at an event in Iowa Thursday night. The president employed the slur to describe predatory loan lenders while discussing the newly passed domestic tax and spending bill, which he has dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill.”
“Think of that: no death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowings from in some cases a fine banker. And in some cases, Shylocks and bad people,” Trump said.
The term “Shylock” comes from a fictional character in William Shakespeare’s play The Merchant of Venice. The character is a Venetian Jewish moneylender and the central villain of the play.
By early Friday morning, Trump had feigned ignorance when asked about the word. “I’ve never heard it that way. To me, Shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates,” CNN reports that he said after deplaning Air Force One. “I’ve never heard it that way, you view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that.”
Despite his claim, Jewish organizations have condemned the president’s use of the word. In a statement via X, the Anti-Defamation League wrote: “The term ‘Shylock’ 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. 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.”
Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs also shared her thoughts on X: “Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,” she said, adding, “This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it’s deeply dangerous.”
This story was updated at 12:28 a.m. on July 4 to include the origin of the term “Shylock.”
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