Donald Trump is under fire for using a deeply offensive antisemitic trope during a speech in Iowa – and his defence only made things worse.
🧠 ‘Shylocks and bad people’
During a rally in Des Moines, Trump proudly declared the benefits of his “Big, Beautiful Bill” before veering into dangerous territory.
He told supporters:
“No death tax. No estate tax. No going through the banks and borrowing from, in some cases a fine banker, and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people.”
The reference to “Shylock” – a Jewish moneylender character from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice – is widely regarded as an antisemitic stereotype.
📣 Immediate backlash
Rep. Daniel Goldman didn’t mince words. The New York Democrat called it “blatant and vile antisemitism” and said Trump “knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, echoed that:
“Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes… this is not an accident. It’s deeply dangerous.”
✈️ Trump’s poor defence
After the speech, Trump was confronted aboard Air Force One. His response?
“I’ve never heard it that way… the meaning of Shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I’ve never heard that.”
Critics argue this defence is disingenuous and plays into a long-standing pattern of inflammatory language from the former president.
You can watch it below:
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