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(157,612 posts) Fri Jul 4, 2025, 12:22 PM Jul 4

Trump says he had 'never heard' Shylock as an anti-semitic term after using it at rally [View all]

Source: CNN Politics

Updated 10:07 AM EDT, Fri July 4, 2025

CNN — President Donald Trump said early Friday that he wasn’t aware that some people view the word “Shylock” as antisemitic after using the term during a rally to decry amoral money lenders. “I’ve never heard it that way. To me, Shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates,” Trump told reporters after getting off Air Force One. “I’ve never heard it that way, you view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that.” Trump was arriving back in Washington after an event in Iowa marking the kick-off to nationwide celebrations marking the country’s 250th anniversary next year.

In his speech, he used the word when touting aspects of the major domestic policy bill that had been approved by Congress a few hours earlier. “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,” he said during his event in Des Moines. “They took away a lot of, a lot of family. They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite.”

The name “Shylock” derives from the name of the antagonist in William Shakespeare’s “The Merchant of Venice.” Shylock, a Jew, was a ruthless moneylender in the play, and he’s remembered for demanding a “pound of flesh” from the merchant Antonio if he failed to repay a loan.

The Anti-Defamation League condemned Trump’s use of the word Friday morning. “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,” the organization wrote in a statement 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.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/04/politics/trump-iowa-rally-antisemitic-term

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Trump says he had 'never heard' Shylock as an anti-semitic term after using it at rally [View all] BumRushDaShow Jul 4 OP

Up next: "I can't be an anti-Semite (what I said wasn't anti-Semitic) because I have a Jewish kid/grandkids." Behind the Aegis Jul 4 #1

Soon he'll be saying, " n----- is a racist term? Whoever heard of that?" unblock Jul 4 #2

Yep. Every racist name for every ethnic group he hates-- tanyev Jul 4 #52

Think about this... Montauk6 Jul 6 #67

He doesn't know E. Jean Carroll... 2MuchNoise Jul 4 #3

But he has the highest IQ and knows more than the Generals! chowder66 Jul 4 #8

Yet he is a Stable Genius who knows more than his generals. Prof. Toru Tanaka Jul 4 #14

Trump really never knew Epstein but..."heard that he liked girls on the young side" Bengus81 Jul 4 #54

Can we all admit he knows absolutely nothing about anything? Like a 3 year old. sinkingfeeling Jul 4 #4

"I didn't mean it antisemitically; I meant it as a very common antisemitic trope" RockRaven Jul 4 #5

"... deeply entrenched in our country." Deeply entrenched in trump. It's not like his antisemitism is new. mpcamb Jul 4 #6

Has the Anti-Defamation League Submariner Jul 4 #7

Are they really 88 feet tall? yardwork Jul 4 #12

Trump installs pair of 88-foot-tall new flag poles at the White House Submariner Jul 4 #15

Whoa!! Why hasn't anybody talked about THAT?! yardwork Jul 4 #16

I can tell you why. Well actually, you kind of already answered it on the other thread about this topic. Behind the Aegis Jul 4 #41

So Chuck Schumer is lazy and silent? Do you have sources for this? Hekate Jul 4 #43

No source other than my own observation Submariner Jul 4 #59

He's not my Senator, but I hear him speak out from time to time. I see more of Schiff & Padilla,.. Hekate Jul 4 #60

Does anybody think he ever read "The Merchant of Venice"? Ritabert Jul 4 #9

I'd bet good money that he not only never read it, MLWR Jul 4 #11

Bingo! Ritabert Jul 4 #21

Trump thinks Shakespeare was a character on Star Trek.... Jack Valentino Jul 4 #62

Doesn't matter. That term means "Jewish moneylender." yardwork Jul 4 #13

But it shows how uninformed he us Ritabert Jul 4 #22

I think both are correct. He's utterly uninformed but not about that. yardwork Jul 4 #24

He's never even *watched* it. RockRaven Jul 4 #18

He's seriously uninformed Ritabert Jul 4 #23

We can be sure he's never read "The Merchant of Venice" or anything else by Shakespeare, Ocelot II Jul 4 #26

If he knows the term he's trying to hide his antisemitism Ritabert Jul 4 #34

It's such a common trope even grade school dropouts know the term, just like they know the N-word Hekate Jul 4 #44

Then he's feigning ignorance Ritabert Jul 4 #48

What else would you expect? Hekate Jul 4 #53

Well, I don't remember ever hearing that term in my life... Jack Valentino Jul 4 #63

It's casual, based on "everybody knows" that "Jews are tight-fisted" ... Hekate Jul 5 #65

I am familiar with that 'concept', just not the term 'Shylock'... Jack Valentino Jul 5 #66

Oh, if only there were some well-educated, competent aides to proofread his speeches and check stuff like this ! eppur_se_muova Jul 4 #10

"Troubling and irresponsible," the @ADL responds to @POTUS using the trope 'Shylock.' LetMyPeopleVote Jul 4 #17

trump, again benefitting from being a dumbfuck and having an incompetent staff. (nt) Paladin Jul 4 #19

Trump is uninformed, unsophisticated, unread, and under educated. He also lies. Joinfortmill Jul 4 #20

I actually believe Trump this time VMA131Marine Jul 4 #25

It's not really about Shakespeare, though. AloeVera Jul 4 #27

I have heard "Shylock" used to refer to a non-Jewish moneylender Retrograde Jul 4 #29

That use is meant to IMPLY the non-Jew is acting like a Jew. Behind the Aegis Jul 4 #33

Exactly Wiz Imp Jul 4 #45

He always plays dumb whenever he's called on his bullshit JoseBalow Jul 4 #28

And you know what? Trumpies don't care. CTyankee Jul 4 #30

Cueball Miller probably whispered it in his ear. Grokenstein Jul 4 #31

The Orthodox Jewish community that supports him Bluestocking Jul 4 #32

If so, it's for the same reason Evangelical Christians & Orthodox Jews agree on certain things... Hekate Jul 4 #51

Probably also his favorite daughter (and convert to Judaism) and her husband Jared. tanyev Jul 4 #58

He's lying. N/t MrsMatt Jul 4 #35

While I don't usually believe a word Trump says, I do believe he could very well be totally ignorant of the origin of Martin68 Jul 4 #36

Not a chance. He knows full and well that it is antisemitic. Wiz Imp Jul 4 #46

I've been saying for 10 years SCantiGOP Jul 4 #37

To be fair, Trump is a simple and incurious man who never considers context or consequences. Beartracks Jul 4 #38

BS. It was a purposeful dog whistle. Wiz Imp Jul 4 #47

He probably didn't know but he says far worse things when he does know. Ya know. twodogsbarking Jul 4 #39

There is absolutely no question that he knows it's antisemitic Wiz Imp Jul 4 #49

Has no problem playing stupid. Sneederbunk Jul 4 #40

When I was growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s and early 1970s Bluejeans Jul 4 #42

I grew up in NY Henry203 Jul 4 #55

See post #33 Wiz Imp Jul 4 #50

I'm sure Eloon, DJT's on-off pal, is zig-heiling secretly Jrose Jul 4 #56

Bullshit. He knew. Solly Mack Jul 4 #57

I don't recall ever hearing the word before, but I never read "The Merchant of Venice" ..... Jack Valentino Jul 4 #61

The sad thing is that could actually be true, but... ananda Jul 4 #64