Trump Uses ‘Shylock’ Term Again—A Year After Claiming He Didn’t Know It Was Antisemitic

 https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2026/10/20/trump-again-uses-shylock-term-a-year-after-claiming-he-didnt-know-it-was-antisemitic/

President Donald Trump once again used the term “Shylock,” widely considered antisemitic, while defending Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., at a campaign rally in Kansas on Monday night, more than a year after he faced widespread criticism for his use of the term and claimed he was unaware that the term had antisemitic connotations.

Marshall worked as an obstetrician before entering politics, and the Times reported that the lawsuits led to some patients having their paychecks garnished and others being arrested after missing court appearances.

“And they made it like, oh, he was some kind of a Shylock-type guy,” Trump said, arguing that Marshall had been unfairly criticized over his past medical debt collection practices.

Trump previously faced criticism over the term “Shylock” in July last year at a campaign rally in Iowa, where he was touting his domestic policy bill. He said “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 use of the term drew immediate pushback, and the Anti-Defamation League issued a statement saying it “evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous,” and added: “President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible.” The term originates from William Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice,” which features a character named “Shylock” who is a Jewish money lender.