Latest news with #AmySpitalnick
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Donald Trump Condemned After Using Antisemitic Slur to Promote His 'Big, Beautiful' Bill, Later Denied Knowing What It Meant
President Donald Trump used an antisemitic slur while promoting his 'Big, Beautiful Bill' He later denied knowing what the term 'shylocks' meant Jewish leaders denounced his words, calling his statement 'deeply dangerous'President Donald Trump is facing backlash after he used an antisemitic slur to describe Jewish bankers while promoting his 'Big, Beautiful Bill.' While speaking in Des Moines, Iowa, on Thursday, July 3, leading up to next year's 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the 79-year-old politician used a choice word as he addressed the crowd. "No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker, and in some cases, shylocks and bad people," Trump said. "They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite." Shylock is a fictional Jewish moneylender and principal villain in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice, which was believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. Shortly after, Jewish leaders publicly condemned the antisemitic slur. 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous,' Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, tweeted on Thursday. Her message also included a video of Trump making the remark before a crowd of his supporters. The Anti-Defamation League also spoke out against his comment. "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 said. '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,' the statement continued. Trump later denied knowing the meaning of the word. '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, CNN reported Friday, July 4. 'I've never heard it that way, you view it differently than me. I've never heard that.' Following his antisemitic slur, Trump went on to sign the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' into law. It will introduce significant cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by implementing more requirements on possible beneficiaries. It will also prioritize funding for deportation and border efforts; diminishes green energy tax incentives and increases the national deficit by $3.8 trillion. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. In early June, Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she regretted supporting the bill without reading it. 'Full transparency, I did not know about this section on pages 278-279 of the OBBB that strips states of the right to make laws or regulate AI for 10 years,' Greene tweeted, in part. 'I am adamantly OPPOSED to this and it is a violation of state rights and I would have voted NO if I had known this was in there.' Read the original article on People
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump criticized for using antisemitic slur in Iowa speech
Jewish advocacy groups slammed President Donald Trump for using an anti-Semitic descriptor on Thursday during his Iowa speech celebrating the passage of his spending bill. Trump used the term "Shylocks," which evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jewish people and greed, to talk about the tax changes in the bill. "No death tax, no estate tax, no going to the banks and bar exam from, in some cases a fine banker, and in some cases Shylocks and bad people, but they took away a lot of family. They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite," he told the crowd. Shylock is a reference to the name of the Jewish moneylender and villain in playwright William Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" who demands a "pound of flesh" from protagonist Antonio. MORE: Trump admin live updates The Anti-Defamation League on Friday morning criticized the president, reiterating that the term 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," the organization said in a statement. Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, also condemned Trump's comments, saying in a statement it was one of "the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes." "This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories -- and it's deeply dangerous," she added. Trump was asked about his use of the word after he returned to Washington D.C. early Friday. The president, who has made combating antisemitism in schools a priority in his administration, claimed he has "never heard it that way." "To me, 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," Trump claimed. MORE: Video Concerns grow over the rise in incidents of antisemitic hate crimes This is not the first time that an executive branch member came under fire for using the term. In 2014, then-Vice President Joe Biden took heat for using the term during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Legal Services Corporation, referring to predatory bankers as "these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas." Biden apologized after then-Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman criticized the use of the term. "He's correct, it was a poor choice of words, particularly as he said coming from 'someone as friendly to the Jewish community and open and tolerant an individual as is Vice President Joe Biden.' He's right," Biden said in a statement. ABC News' Benjamin Siegel contributed to this report.
Forbes
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Forbes
Trump Says He Didn't Know 'Shylock' Was Antisemitic Term
President Donald Trump said Friday he didn't know the term 'Shylock' was antisemitic, after he was slammed by groups including the Anti-Defamation League for using the word during a campaign rally Thursday night. President Donald Trump arrives at a rally at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on July 3 in Des Moines, ... More Iowa. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved Trump was asked Friday about his use of the term 'Shylock' during his campaign rally in Iowa, when the president said about his domestic policy 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.' The term 'Shylock' has been widely recognized as antisemitic, with the Anti-Defamation League saying Friday it 'evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous.' Trump, asked about his use of the term, claimed to reporters Friday he was not aware of its antisemitic connotations. '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, claiming the reporters 'view [the term] differently than me.' The president's comments come after he had come under criticism for his use of the term, with the Anti-Defamation League saying it was 'very troubling and irresponsible' and Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, saying Trump using 'Shylock' was 'deeply dangerous' and 'not an accident,' claiming the president has previously 'normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories.' The Anti-Defamation League said Trump's use of 'Shylock' 'underscores how lies and conspiracies about Jews remain deeply entrenched in our country,' according to a statement Friday morning on X. 'Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.' Why Is The Term 'shylock' Antisemitic? The term 'Shylock' is originally from William Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice,' which features a character named Shylock, a Jewish money lender. Shylock gives the main character Antonio a loan, demanding a 'pound of flesh' if he cannot repay his debt, and ultimately seeks that punishment when Antonio does not pay. The play has long been a source of debate over whether it's antisemitic, and Smithsonian Magazine notes it was frequently performed in Nazi Germany. The character of Shylock has long been considered to reflect stereotypes about Jewish people being 'greedy' and the term has been recognized as antisemitic as a result, with Florida passing legislation in 2009 that removed 'Shylock' and 'shylocking' from state law. Former President Joe Biden also sparked controversy for using 'Shylock' in 2014, when speaking about members of the military his son knew in Iraq who needed legal help back home. 'People would come to him and talk about what was happening to them at home in terms of foreclosures, in terms of bad loans that were being — I mean, these Shylocks who took advantage of these women and men while overseas,' Biden said in a speech. The then-vice president later apologized for his use of the term after it similarly garnered criticism, with the Anti-Defamation League saying Biden 'should have been more careful.' Key Background Trump's use of the term 'Shylock' comes as the president and his allies have faced accusations of antisemitism in the past. Trump has had various connections to a number of people who identify as white supremacists, and the president came under fire after his former chief of staff, John Kelly, wrote in his memoir that Trump once told him Adolf Hitler 'did a lot of good things.' Former ally Elon Musk was also embroiled in controversy after raising his hand in a way that mimicked a Nazi salute at Trump's inauguration. At the same time, the Trump administration has taken harsh action against U.S. universities and student activists over perceived antisemitism, as the Trump administration has maintained the U.S.' support for Israel in its war against Hamas. The White House has taken such steps as attempting to revoke visas for pro-Palestinian activists and levying punishments on schools like Harvard and Columbia Universities for perceived failures to combat antisemitism. Further Reading Denouncing Antisemitism, Trump Also Fans Its Flames (New York Times)
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump responds to criticism after use of 'anti-Semitic term'
President Donald Trump pushed back at criticism for his use of an anti-Semitic term during his Iowa rally, saying he had 'never heard it that way.' He used the term while referencing unscrupulous bankers as he touted the impacts of his 'big, beautiful bill,' which Congress had approved hours earlier. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said. He sparked outrage over his use of 'shylocks,' which refers to loan sharks and is considered offensive, playing on stereotypes of Jews and money. Trump said he had never heard it used that way. 'I've never heard it that way,' he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after his rally. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.' Shylock is a Jewish character in William Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice.' He is portrayed as a villain and demands a 'pound of flesh' from another character who is unable to repay a loan. Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, slammed Trump for using an 'anti-Semitic stereotype.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous,' she wrote on social media. Trump has been accused of anti-Semitism but he is also close to the Jewish people. His daughter Ivanka converted to Jewish with her marriage to Jared Kushner. They are raising their children as Jewish. The president also has signed executive orders combating antisemitism and cracked down on universities that allowed pro-Palestinian protests on their campuses. Before his rally he met with Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American who was held hostage during the Gaza war. And, on Monday, he will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to push for an end to the war in Gaza. Trump is not the only politician to have used the word. Then-Vice President Joe Biden used it in a 2014 speech while discussing his son's experience serving in Iraq and meeting members of the military who were in need of legal help because of problems back at home.
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump responds after sparking outrage for use of 'anti-Semitic term' during tax cuts celebration
President Donald Trump pushed back at criticism for his use of an anti-Semitic term during his Iowa rally, saying he had 'never heard it that way.' He used the term while referencing unscrupulous bankers as he touted the impacts of his 'big, beautiful bill,' which Congress had approved hours earlier. 'No death tax. No estate tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker — and in some cases, shylocks and bad people,' he said. He sparked outrage over his use of 'shylocks,' which refers to loan sharks and is considered offensive, playing on stereotypes of Jews and money. Trump said he had never heard it used that way. 'I've never heard it that way,' he told reporters at Joint Base Andrews after his rally. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.' Shylock is a Jewish character in William Shakespeare's play 'The Merchant of Venice.' He is portrayed as a villain and demands a 'pound of flesh' from another character who is unable to repay a loan. Amy Spitalnick, the CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, slammed Trump for using an 'anti-Semitic stereotype.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes. This is not an accident. It follows years in which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories — and it's deeply dangerous,' she wrote on social media. Trump has been accused of anti-Semitism but he is also close to the Jewish people. His daughter Ivanka converted to Jewish with her marriage to Jared Kushner. They are raising their children as Jewish. The president also has signed executive orders combating antisemitism and cracked down on universities that allowed pro-Palestinian protests on their campuses. Before his rally he met with Edan Alexander, an Israeli-American who was held hostage during the Gaza war. And, on Monday, he will host Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House to push for an end to the war in Gaza. Trump is not the only politician to have used the word. Then-Vice President Joe Biden used it in a 2014 speech while discussing his son's experience serving in Iraq and meeting members of the military who were in need of legal help because of problems back at home. 'I mean these Shylocks who took advantage of, um, these women and men while overseas,' Biden said at the time. He, too, was heavily criticized. Biden ultimately apologized for his words.
