Shywho?
The Anti-Defamation League on Friday condemned President Donald Trump’s use of the term “Shylock” at a Thursday night rally, saying the president was invoking a “centuries-old antisemitic trope.”
During a campaign-style rally speech in Iowa on Thursday — in which the president basked in his megabill success — Trump touted what he and Republicans have promoted as benefits of the sweeping legislation.
“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.
You can see him flailing there even before you get to the “shylock.” He was going to paint banks in general as full of crooks but realized that would piss off quite a large chunk of his fan base, so he attempted a self-correct in the middle of the sentence.
The use of the word “Shylock,” which is viewed as an antisemitic term, prompted immediate outcry from prominent Jewish organizations, including the ADL, which decried Trump’s use of the term in a statement posted to X Friday morning.
“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 statement read. “Words from our leaders matter and we expect more from the President of the United States.”
Really? From this one? That would be silly.
Trump has claimed that he did not know the weight the term carried.
“I’ve never heard it that way,” the president told reporters aboard Air Force One early Friday morning. “To me, Shylock is somebody that’s a moneylender at high rates. I’ve never heard it that way. You view it differently than me.”
Yes, and? He’s pig-ignorant and thinks he isn’t. We know.
I’m surprised he knows about Shylock. I’m sure he’s never read Shakespeare.
Well he clearly doesn’t know about Shylock except as what he takes to be a random nickname for “stingy Jew.”
It is most unlikely IMHO that he encountered Shylock via a play from Old Bill on stage or screen. More likely he heard that name dropped by some fellow ignoramus in some mutually ignorant conversation: about Jews, and their dealings with some of them.
Needs a Shylock Holmes to run a full investigation.
Not to mention a lot of people he owes money to.
Heh. Shylock Holmes.
OB#2: I think he would know it as old time NYC hoodlum slang for a loanshark. Lacking the intelligence of your average hoodlum, the Shakespeare allusion is probably beyond Trump.
A crooked 80s New York real estate developer with a John Bircher father tossing out casual antisemitism, who would’ve thought? He’s obviously more keen on Jews than some of his stooges but he does employ actual Nazis (and whatever Stephen Miller is).
@6 speaking of Shakespeare and hoodlums I couldn’t help but think of this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8Zzl_HH4XQ
“I didn’t really knew Shylock at all. I never worked with him that closely. We barely crossed paths. He was a disaster! Turns out he was a low-IQ kinda guy.”