Trump's 'Shylock' comment draws outcry from Jewish groups

US President Donald Trump has drawn disapproval from Jewish groups aft helium utilized an antisemitic word astatine a rally.

Trump described immoderate bankers arsenic "Shylocks" astatine the lawsuit successful Iowa. He said afterwards helium did not realise it was considered offensive. Shylock is simply a ruthless Jewish wealth lender successful Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish anti-discrimination monitor, said the president's usage of the slur was "very troubling".

Former US President Joe Biden utilized the connection Shylock portion helium was vice-president, aboriginal acknowledging it was inappropriate.

At Thursday's rally successful Des Moines, Trump was celebrating the transition of his fund measure done Congress this week.

"Think of that: No decease tax," helium said. "No property tax. No going to the banks and borrowing from, successful immoderate cases, a good banker - and successful immoderate cases, Shylocks and atrocious people."

As the Republican president returned connected Air Force One to Washington DC aft the rally, helium was asked by reporters astir his usage of the term. He said helium was not alert it was seen arsenic antisemitic.

"No, I've ne'er heard it that way," the president said. "To me, Shylock is idiosyncratic that, say, a wealth lender astatine precocious rates.

"I've ne'er heard it that way. You presumption it otherwise than me. I've ne'er heard that."

Congressman Daniel Goldman, a New York Democrat, called Trump's remarks "blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows precisely what he's doing".

The ADL said successful a station connected X: "The word 'Shylock' evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope astir Jews and greed that is highly violative and dangerous.

"President Trump's usage of the word is precise troubling and irresponsible."

Amy Spitalnick, caput of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said connected X the remark was "deeply dangerous".

"Shylock is among the astir quintessential antisemitic stereotypes," she said. "This is not an accident.

"It follows years successful which Trump has normalized antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories."

Trump's allies person antecedently brushed disconnected immoderate proposition that helium is antisemitic, pointing retired his staunch enactment for Israel and that adjacent advisers of his, including Stephen Miller and Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, are Jewish.

The president's medication has launched a run to weed retired antisemitism connected assemblage campuses, withholding national backing from immoderate institutions, specified arsenic Harvard, and taking steps to deport pro-Palestinian activists who are successful the US connected pupil visas.

Then-Vice-President Biden, a Democrat, utilized the word Shylock successful 2014 erstwhile addressing a ineligible group.

"People would travel up to him and speech astir what was happening to them astatine location successful presumption of foreclosures," helium said, referring to his son's experiences serving successful Iraq, "in presumption of atrocious loans that were being - I mean, these Shylocks who took vantage of these women and men portion overseas."

Following uproar, Biden said "it was a mediocre prime of words".