Park City, KS — President Donald Trump used the antisemitic term “Shylock” during a Kansas campaign rally Monday while defending Republican Sen. Roger Marshall against criticism over his past practice of suing patients for unpaid medical bills.
Trump complained that Democratic ads had portrayed Marshall as “some kind of a Shylock-type guy,” invoking the Jewish moneylender from Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice. The term has long been used as an antisemitic stereotype associating Jewish people with greed and predatory lending.
The Anti-Defamation League responded Tuesday by saying the term is “rooted in a longstanding antisemitic stereotype” and can reinforce harmful tropes. Notably, its statement did not identify Trump by name.
Critics accused the organization of applying a softer standard to Trump than it has to other politicians. When Joe Biden used the same term in 2014, the ADL publicly addressed him by name and welcomed his apology.
Trump also falsely claimed Marshall had been legally required to pursue patients over unpaid bills. Kansas reporting found Marshall’s former medical practice sued more than 700 patients, with some ultimately arrested after failing to appear in court.
Trump used the same slur at an Iowa rally in 2025. At the time, he said he was unaware of its antisemitic meaning.
The Kansas appearance came as Marshall faces an unexpectedly competitive reelection challenge from Democrat Adam Hamilton.
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