Trump Doesn't Get the Benefit of the Doubt on His Use of The Anti-Semitic Term "Shylock"

President Trump claims he had no idea "shylock" is an anti-Semitic term. 

During a rally in Iowa to celebrate the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, Trump discussed its effect on the estate tax:

Think of that. 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.

When confronted with his use of the term by reporters, Trump said, "I've never heard it that way. The meaning of shylock is somebody that's a moneylender at high rates. You view it differently. I've never heard that." 

I do not believe him.

Given Trump's propensity towards lying, he does not get the benefit of the doubt. When we also consider that Trump's long business career and Ivy League education, it is implausible that he is not aware of the term "shylock".

Naturally, there are those who will point out that his daughter Ivanka converted to Judaism and that his grandchildren are Jewish. Well, then that makes it even more implausible that he is unaware of the term.

Let us also keep in mind that Trump has repeatedly questioned the loyalty of American Jews. The term shylock certainly questions Jews for having loyalty to no one other than themselves.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Joe Biden used the term when he was Vice-President back in 2014 and made a heartfelt apology. Unlike Biden, Trump will never admit to wrongdoing much less make amends for it.