President of the United States Donald J. Trump delivers remarks to a crowd at an America250 rally in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, on July 3, 2025.

US President Donald Trump drew fierce criticism and was accused of anti-Semitism for a comment he made during a speech celebrating the passing in Congress of his so-called “Big, Beautiful Bill” on Thursday.

Trump was boasting to supporters in Des Moines, Iowa, about how they would now benefit from various parts of his signature, controversial taxation and spending bill when he said:

“No death tax. No estate tax. No going through the banks and borrowing from, in some cases a fine banker, and in some cases, Shylocks and bad people.”

TRUMP: No estate tax, no going through the banks and borrowing from—in some cases a fine banker— and in some cases a shylocks and bad people. pic.twitter.com/VHQt3k1U6u

The term “Shylock,” a reference to the name of the Jewish moneylender in William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice, is now considered to be an anti-Semitic slur, playing as it does on anti-Semitic stereotypes.

Representative Daniel Goldman (Democrat, New York) led the criticism of the president on social media.

The congressman accused Trump of “blatant and vile antisemitism” and claimed the president “knows exactly what he’s doing.”

This is blatant and vile antisemitism, and Trump knows exactly what he’s doing.

Anyone who truly opposes antisemitism calls it out wherever........

© HuffPost