Trump uses term 'Shylock' at Kansas rally while defending Sen. Roger Marshall
In short
President Donald Trump used the term "Shylock", which outlets described as antisemitic, at a rally in Kansas while defending Republican Sen. Roger Marshall over his lawsuits against patients for unpaid medical bills. CNN reported that Marshall sued more than 700 patients while working as an obstetrician-gynecologist. Trump used the same term at a rally in Iowa in July 2025, according to CNN and The New York Times.
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President Donald Trump used the term "Shylock" at a rally in Park City, Kansas, on Monday while defending Republican Sen. Roger Marshall, according to CNN and The New York Times. NBC News, Bloomberg, The Hill and CNN described the term as antisemitic. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
Trump was responding to reporting that Marshall sued patients over unpaid debts when he was a practicing physician. CNN said Marshall sued more than 700 patients during his time as an obstetrician-gynecologist, as first reported by The New York Times. "You're not allowed not to do it. You have to, by law, go after those people, and they made it like, oh, he was some kind of a Shylock-type guy," Trump said, according to CNN. He added that Marshall "would have been breaking a very strong criminal law" had he not made the requests. The Seattle Times quoted Trump as saying Marshall "was given a bum rap". [ 1 , 4 , 7 ]
The Seattle Times reported that dozens of Marshall's former patients ended up jailed when they were unwilling or unable to settle their accounts, and that he has come under attack for his approach to unpaid medical debts. [ 7 ]
CNN and The New York Times reported that Trump used the same term in July 2025 at a rally in Iowa. The Hill said he used it at a bill signing for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act while speaking about reduced estate taxes for farmers. Trump told reporters at the time, according to CNN, "I've never heard it that way. To me, Shylock is somebody that's a money lender at high rates." The Seattle Times wrote that he would seem unable to repeat the claim of ignorance now, because his remark about Marshall presumes listeners know the word is a slur. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
The Anti-Defamation League wrote on X on Tuesday that the term was "rooted in a longstanding antisemitic stereotype" and that, regardless of intent, its use can reinforce harmful tropes about Jews. Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, said Trump had again used the term a year after being called out, and said it was "not an accident". CNN noted that former President Joe Biden apologized for using the word in 2014. The Hill said the White House did not immediately respond to its request for comment. [ 4 , 5 ]
Marshall faces Democrat Adam Hamilton in a Senate race that Bloomberg described as surprisingly competitive in a deeply red state. The Hill said Decision Desk HQ, a partner of the outlet, gives Marshall a 65 percent chance of winning reelection. The Seattle Times wrote that Republicans have not lost a U.S. Senate race in Kansas in 94 years and that Trump won the state in 2024 by more than 16%. [ 3 , 5 , 7 ]
Why it matters
The remarks put Trump's use of the term back in the news a year after he said he did not know it was viewed as antisemitic. They come as Marshall faces a competitive Senate race against Democrat Adam Hamilton in Kansas.
Key facts
- Trump used the term "Shylock" at a rally in Kansas on Monday while defending Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- The rally was in Park City, Kansas. [ 6 , 7 ]
- Trump was responding to reporting that Marshall sued patients over unpaid medical bills when he was a practicing physician; CNN said the number was more than 700, as first reported by The New York Times. [ 1 , 4 , 5 ]
- Trump said Marshall was "mandated by law" to go after the unpaid bills. [ 5 ]
- The Anti-Defamation League said on X on Tuesday that the term was "rooted in a longstanding antisemitic stereotype". [ 4 ]
- Trump used the same term in July 2025 and later said he had not known it was viewed by some as antisemitic. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment. [ 5 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Trump used the term "Shylock" at a Kansas rally while defending Sen. Roger Marshall over his lawsuits against patients for unpaid medical bills. [ 1 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ]
- Trump had used the same term in 2025 and said at the time that he was not aware of, or had never heard, the antisemitic reading of it. [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 ]
- Marshall is in a competitive Senate race in Kansas against Democrat Adam Hamilton. [ 5 , 7 ]
Still unclear
- How many patients Marshall sued. NBC News said hundreds, CNN said more than 700, and The Seattle Times said dozens of former patients were jailed; only CNN gave the figure of more than 700.
- Where Trump used the term in 2025. CNN and The New York Times said it was at a rally in Iowa, The Hill said it was at a bill signing for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and The Seattle Times called it a campaign speech.
- Whether the White House will comment. The Hill said the White House did not immediately respond to its request for comment.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- NBC News published its first report that Trump used an antisemitic slur in defending Marshall at a Kansas rally. [ 1 ]
- Bloomberg reported that Trump used an antisemitic term at the rally. [ 3 ]
- CNN published its report quoting Trump's use of "Shylock" and the Anti-Defamation League's response. [ 4 ]
- The Hill reported that the White House had not immediately responded to its request for comment. [ 5 ]