Trump Uses Antisemitic Term 'Shylock' at Iowa Rally, Draws Condemnation from Jewish Leaders

nytimes.com/2025/07/04/us/politics/jewish-trump-shylock-slur-adl.html

Revised Article

President Trump used the antisemitic term 'Shylock' during a rally in Iowa while discussing estate taxes, saying farmers should not be forced to go to 'Shylocks and bad people' to borrow money for tax payments. Jewish leaders quickly denounced the remark as antisemitic.

The term 'Shylock' originates from Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice,' where the character is a Jewish moneylender portrayed through harmful antisemitic stereotypes. For over 400 years, the name has been used as a derogatory slur against Jewish people, particularly in contexts involving money or lending. The character reinforced negative stereotypes about Jews being greedy and obsessed with extracting their 'pound of flesh,' written during a time when Jews had been expelled from England for centuries.

When questioned about his remark after the rally, Trump claimed he had never heard the word was antisemitic and thought it simply referred to usury. However, 'Shylock' has been widely recognized as an antisemitic slur in American culture and education for decades, making his claimed ignorance questionable.

Trump's comment about farmers needing to borrow money for estate taxes was misleading, as the 2025 estate tax threshold is $28 million for couples, affecting less than 0.2% of all deaths annually. The vast majority of farmers and other Americans are not subject to estate taxes. This incident adds to Trump's documented history of statements that Jewish leaders have criticized as antisemitic or insensitive, contributing to concerns about the normalization of antisemitic language in political discourse.

Missing Context & Misinformation 6

  • The character Shylock in Shakespeare's 'The Merchant of Venice' has been widely recognized by scholars as an antisemitic stereotype that portrays Jews as greedy moneylenders obsessed with extracting their 'pound of flesh.' The play was written during a time when Jews had been expelled from England for centuries, reinforcing negative stereotypes.
  • The term 'Shylock' has been used as an antisemitic slur for over 400 years, commonly applied to Jewish people in derogatory contexts related to money lending or perceived greed. Major dictionaries and Jewish organizations have long recognized it as offensive.
  • Estate taxes in 2025 only affect the wealthiest Americans - couples with estates worth more than $28 million. This represents less than 0.2% of all deaths annually, making Trump's characterization of farmers commonly needing to borrow against estate taxes misleading.
  • Trump has a documented history of making statements that Jewish leaders have criticized as antisemitic or insensitive, including previous comments about Jewish Americans and loyalty to Israel, making this incident part of a broader pattern.
  • The use of antisemitic language by political leaders has been linked by researchers to increases in hate crimes and discrimination against Jewish communities, particularly when such language goes unchallenged or is dismissed as unintentional.

Disinformation & Lies 2

  • Trump's claim that he 'never heard' the word was antisemitic is questionable given that 'Shylock' has been widely recognized as an antisemitic slur in American culture and education for decades, and would likely be known to someone of his age and education level.

Bias 3

The article shows minimal bias. The reporting is factual and proportional - Trump did use the term 'Shylock' at a rally, Jewish leaders did denounce it, and the term does have antisemitic connotations from Shakespeare's play. The article fairly presents Trump's explanation that he was unaware of the antisemitic nature of the term. The bias present is warranted criticism given the historical antisemitic usage of 'Shylock,' and the article serves readers by providing necessary context about the term's origins and why it's considered offensive. The tone is appropriately serious for covering antisemitic language use by a president.