President Donald Trump used an anti-Semitic slur Monday to defend Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., after a report said he sued hundreds of patients for unpaid debts while he was a practicing doctor.
Speaking at a campaign rally in Kansas, Trump said the reports made Marshall, who is not Jewish, a “shylock kind of guy,” using a term widely recognized as offensive to Jewish people.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trump’s remarks.
Trump used the same slur last year in a speech to describe exploitative bankers as he promoted his sweeping domestic policy bill. Some Jewish groups denounced his use of the term.
“Shylock” is a Jewish character from William Shakespeare’s play “The Merchant of Venice”, sometimes called a loan shark. The Anti-Defamation League, in a guide for educators teaching the play, states: “Shylock, and by extension, all Jews, are presented as money-hungry, conniving, and cruel. »
Trump then denied any knowledge of the term’s anti-Semitic connotations, saying he had “never heard it that way” and adding: “To me, Shylock is someone who lends on money at high rates.” »
Former President Joe Biden faced backlash in 2014 for using the word, for which he later apologized.
Marshall, an obstetrician-gynecologist, faced backlash after The New York Times reported last month that he had sued more than 700 patients for unpaid bills, resulting in numerous arrest warrants for missed court dates. His attorney said Marshall had no involvement in the warrants or arrests, and Marshall called the story a “hit.”
“You got screwed with this stuff,” Trump said Monday of the report, addressing Marshall on stage. He did not mention the Times by name.
Marshall, who has represented Kansas in the Senate since 2021, faces Adam Hamilton in a closer-than-expected race. Hamilton is a megachurch pastor and former Republican who said he decided to run as a Democrat this year after considering a run as an independent. Hamilton gained a number of endorsements from influential Republicans and Democrats in the state.
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report calls the race a “toss-up.” NBC News describes him as competitive but leaning toward the GOP.
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