• Trump used the term "Shylock" during a speech in Iowa, referring to some bankers.
• The Anti-Defamation League condemned the term as a centuries-old antisemitic trope.
• Trump claimed he did not know the term was considered offensive to Jewish people.

President Donald Trump has come under fire for using the term "Shylock" during a rally in Iowa while discussing his tax legislation, which he referred to as the "One Big Beautiful Bill." He stated, "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," eliciting considerable backlash for the remark, which is rooted in Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice." The term has long been associated with antisemitic stereotypes concerning Jewish moneylenders, according to Newsweek and SCMP.

In response to the controversy, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) issued a statement saying, "The term 'Shylock' evokes a centuries-old antisemitic trope about Jews and greed that is extremely offensive and dangerous." They called Trump's remarks "very troubling and irresponsible," highlighting how such language can perpetuate harmful stereotypes, as reported by LATimes and ABC News.

After facing criticism, Trump defended his remark, stating he had "never heard" the term considered antisemitic: "To me, a Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates," he insisted, expressing a lack of awareness regarding its negative connotation, as noted by CBS News and India Times.

The outcry against Trump's statements was amplified by comments from officials, including U.S. Representative Dan Goldman, who labeled the remarks as "blatant and vile antisemitism," asserting that Trump was aware of the implications of his words, according to Reuters and BBC.

This incident follows a similar controversy involving former Vice President Joe Biden, who had previously used the term "Shylock" in 2014 and later apologized after facing backlash. Biden's remarks were acknowledged as a "poor choice of words," illustrating the delicate nature of language surrounding Jewish identity and history, as highlighted by TRT Global and LATimes.