Donald Trump used the antisemitic term “shylock” during a speech in Iowa on Thursday evening but claimed he was unaware of its connotations.The President said the term whilst discussing legislation passed by Congress.He said: “No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing some from, in some cases, a fine banker and in some cases shylocks and bad people.”When questioned by journalists on Friday morning about the word’s offensive nature, Trump said: “No, I’ve never heard it that way. To me, a shylock is somebody that’s a money lender at high rates. “I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me. I’ve never heard that.”The term originates from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, referring to the Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of flesh from a debtor.The Anti-Defamation League issued a forceful statement condemning Trump’s language.They declared that the term “evokes a centuries-old anti-Semitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous. President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible”.The organisation further said that Trump’s use of the word “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”.LATEST DEVELOPMENTS: Melania Trump joins husband Donald in signature Y.M.C.A. dance during 4th of July celebrationsDonald Trump signs ‘big beautiful bill’ as landmark ‘mega’ policy becomes law – ‘People are happy!’Donald Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ passes by wafer-thin margin as President handed MAGA mandateThis incident echoes a similar controversy from 2014 when Joe Biden, then vice-president, acknowledged making a “poor choice” of words after using the same term during remarks to a legal aid group.Trump’s controversial remarks about Jewish people extend beyond this incident.In 2015, he told the Republican Jewish Coalition that “you want to control your politicians”, implying the audience used money to exert political influence.Before launching his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump faced widespread condemnation for dining at his Florida club with a Holocaust-denying white nationalist.Last year, he repeatedly accused Jewish Democrats of disloyalty over their criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Critics argued these comments perpetuated antisemitic tropes about divided loyalties and suggested there was only one acceptable way to be Jewish.The Trump administration has attempted to combat antisemitism, including screening immigration applicants for anti-Jewish rhetoric and challenging Harvard University over alleged tolerance of antisemitism.Trump continues to face accusations of employing harmful stereotypes about Jewish people.
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