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The Independent
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
What does Shylock mean? Trump's antisemitic slur explained after president condemned
Donald Trump has been accused of using 'blatant and vile' antisemitic language at a campaign-style speech at a rally in Iowa. The president was speaking in Des Moines on Thursday, just hours after the House passed his cornerstone tax and spending bill. In his 'Salute to America' address, Trump railed against 'Shylocks' as he took a swipe at the Democrats for uniformly opposing the legislation. 'No death tax. No estate tax,' Trump began. 'No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker, and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people.' 'They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite,' he added. His comments drew condemnation from Jewish leaders, who claimed his use of the slur was no accident. Here's what that term means, and how people have reacted. What does Shylock mean and why is it offensive? The term 'Shylock' comes from a villainous character in the play by William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice. Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who demands a pound of flesh from another character, Antonio, if they cannot repay his loan. Ultimately, he is thwarted and forced to convert to Christianity. The play itself has generated debate for hundreds of years over whether it is antisemitic. While it is classified as one of Shakespeare's comedies, much of its tone is more dramatic and often divisive. The prominent American literary critic Harold Bloom once wrote: 'One would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to recognize that Shakespeare's grand, equivocal comedy 'The Merchant of Venice' is nevertheless a profoundly anti-Semitic work.' Shylock has been played in starkly different ways by performers over the years - sometimes as a repulsive character, driven by a desire for revenge, others as a more sympathetic figure. But many see Shylock as an offensive stereotype about Jewish people and money, and the name has become a slur to describe loansharks who lend money at extortionate rates. According to the Smithsonian Magazine, the play was a favourite in Nazi Germany, with more than 50 productions put on in the country between 1933 and 1939. Kevin Madigan, a professor of Christian history at Harvard Divinity School pointed out that in one Berlin production of the play, the director ' planted extras in the audiences to shout and whistle when Shylock appeared, thus cuing the audience to do the same,' the Smithsonian magazine reported. What has the reaction to Trump's comments been? The Anti-Defamation League said the term '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. '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.' Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs said Trump's use of the term was 'not an accident.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,' she tweeted. New York Representative Daniel Goldman said it was 'blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he's doing.' California Rep. Eric Swalwell called on the ADL to take action, adding that if they 'cannot condemn this, they should pack it up.' He later shared an update that the league had condemned the president's comments. Have other senior American leaders used that term? Yes, most notably Joe Biden when he was vice president in 2014. Speaking at a Legal Services Corporation event, he used the term to describe lenders taking advantage of service men and women while they were overseas. Later, Biden acknowledged it 'was a poor choice of words' after the ADL said the then-vice president 'should have been more careful'. What has Trump said about it? Flying back to Washington D.C. on Air Force One, the president said he had 'never heard that' the word was considered antisemitic, and offered his own definition of the term. 'I've never heard it that way,' he said. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.'
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump claims innocence over use of ‘vile antisemitic slur' at rally
Donald Trump caused controversy by using the term 'Shylocks' during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, while discussing bankers and loans. The president stated he had 'never heard' the word was antisemitic, defining it as a moneylender who charges high rates. The term 'Shylock' originates from Shakespeare 's The Merchant of Venice and is widely recognised as an offensive antisemitic slur, based on harmful stereotypes of Jewish people. Jewish leaders and politicians condemned Trump's use of the word, labelling it 'blatant and vile antisemitism ' and insisting his use of it was deliberate. This incident follows previous accusations of Trump perpetuating antisemitic stereotypes, contrasting with Joe Biden who apologised for using the same term in the past. Trump accused of using 'blatant and vile antisemitic slur' during speech at Iowa rally
The Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump accused of using ‘blatant and vile antisemitic slur' during speech at Iowa rally
Donald Trump has been accused of 'blatant and vile antisemitism ' at a rally in Iowa. The president delivered a campaign-style speech during the America250 event at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines on Thursday, just hours after the House passed his signature tax-and-spending bill on the eve of the country's 250th birthday. As Trump promised that his megabill would usher in a period of prosperity, the president railed against 'Shylocks' and 'bad people,' before taking a swipe at the Democrats who uniformly opposed the legislation. 'No death tax. No estate tax,' Trump began. 'No going to the banks and borrowing from, in some cases, a fine banker, and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people.' 'They destroyed a lot of families, but we did the opposite,' he added. The term 'Shylock' comes from the character in William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. In the play Shylock, a Jewish moneylender, agrees with another character to take a 'pound of flesh' if he can't repay his loan. The term was later considered offensive because it plays on harmful stereotypes of Jewish people and money. While flying back to Washington, D.C., on board Air Force One, the president said he had 'never heard that' the word could be considered antisemitic and opted to give his own definition of the phrase. 'I've never heard it that way,' he said. 'The meaning of Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that.' Jewish leaders have condemned the president's rhetoric and claimed his use of the slur was 'no accident.' 'This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he's doing,' New York Representative Daniel Goldman wrote on X late Thursday. 'Anyone who truly opposes antisemitism calls it out wherever it occurs – on both extremes – as I do.' California Representative Eric Swalwell called on the Anti-Defamation League to take action, adding that if they 'cannot condemn this, they should pack it up.' 'Shylock is among the most quintessential antisemitic stereotypes,' Amy Spitalnick of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs tweeted. 'This is not an accident.' Halie Soifer of the Jewish Democratic Council of America said Trump 'referred to bankers using a centuries-old antisemitic slur.' Former President Joe Biden faced backlash after using the same word at a Legal Services Corporation event, describing 'shylocks' taking advantage of servicemembers facing foreclosures while overseas. Unlike Trump, Biden apologized for his 'poor choice of words' after the ADL's Abraham Foxman urged caution about the use of the term. It's not the first time critics have accused Trump, who positions himself as a staunch ally of Israel, of perpetuating anti-Semitic stereotypes. His comment comes ahead of Trump's meeting with Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu next week. In 2015, Trump repeatedly told the Republican Jewish Coalition that he did not want their money and promoted memes with antisemitic symbols, according to the Washington Post.
Daily Mail
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Colbert blasted for interview with New York mayoral candidate
Late-night host Stephen Colbert is facing backlash for failing to ask pro-Palestinian New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Madani tougher questions about his stance on Israel during an interview on Monday. Prior to the interview, which also featured fellow Democratic mayoral candidate Brad Lander, Jewish leaders had urged 'The Late Show With Stephen Colbert' host to press Mamdani over his refusal 'to condemn calls to "globalize the intifada" - incendiary language in which he has publicly trafficked for at least a decade.' Instead, Colbert simply stated that some voters are 'very upset by some of the things that you've said in the past,' adding that 'they are afraid that your mayorship would actually lead to increased antisemitism.' The question teed up Mamdani, 33, to denounce antisemitism while not addressing his past statements, which have included calls to "globalize the intifada" that some say is a call to violence against Jews. When asked during a podcast interview last week if the phrase made him uncomfortable, Mamdani merely said it captured 'a desperate desire for equality and equal rights in standing up for Palestinian human rights.' Activists and Jewish leaders then demanded that Colbert grill the candidate over the phrase, in a letter sent to him the day before the Democratic primary, the New York Post reported . 'I join NYC Jewish leaders insisting @colbertlateshow question @ZohranKMamdani on his refusal to condemn "Globalize the intifada" and other antisemitic language,' wrote Elisha Wiesel, son of Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel, on X Monday before the show aired. 'If Colbert is going to platform Mamdani, he must use the interview to hold him accountable. For millions of Jews, intifada has one meaning and one meaning only, and Mr. Colbert must take this seriously.' Critics of the interview ripped Colbert for not more forcefully broaching the subject of Mamdani's past remarks. 'Colbert is part of the problem,' one X user wrote. During the interview, Colbert, 61, asked Madani and Lander about Israel and whether they believe it 'has the right to exist.' 'Yes, like all nations. I believe it has a right to exist, and a responsibility also to uphold international law,' Mamdani said. The Democratic socialist has previously said he hopes Palestinians gain political agency peacefully and that his criticism of the Israeli government is not equivalent to antisemitism. Prior to his career in politics, the state assemblyman attempted to forge a rap career under the name Mr. Cardamom. Video of Mamdani rapping has since re-emerged, showing bopping along in a music video without his shirt on. In 2019, he revealed he was stepping back from performing in order to try his hand at politics, announcing: 'I'll be forever spicy but I'm taking a break from being a spice to answer the question of what happens when a B-list rapper runs for office.'
Washington Post
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
At Pope Leo XIV's inaugural Mass and beyond, Jewish leaders show hope in Jewish-Catholic relations
VATICAN CITY — Jewish leaders got up-front seats at Pope Leo XIV's inauguration Mass . An American rabbi there and other representatives saw that as a hopeful sign for an upswing of Catholic-Jewish relations under the first U.S.-born pontiff , after a strained relationship with his predecessor. With growing antisemitic rhetoric and attacks in various countries, as well as mounting international criticism of Israel's conduct in its war with Hamas , the moral voice of the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics can make a real difference, they said.
