President Donald Trump defended Kansas Senator Roger Marshall during a campaign rally in Wichita on Monday night, but the event took a controversial turn when the president used an antisemitic slur. While speaking to the crowd, Trump attempted to clear Marshall of criticism regarding lawsuits filed against patients, as reported by The Daily Beast.
Marshall sued over 700 of his own patients for unpaid bills during his career as an obstetrician-gynecologist, a move that became a focal point of his current re-election campaign. Trump claimed that Marshall was unfairly targeted for following legal requirements.
The president told the audience, “I have to say this. Somebody said, “Oh, don’t say it, nobody believes it,’ but I have to say it because I think it’s appropriate. Roger… he was given a bum rap, because he was mandated by law to request, strongly, money owed from patients.” Trump continued by arguing that if Marshall had not pursued the payments, he would have violated criminal law and faced potential arrest.
In his defense of the senator, Trump used the term ‘Shylock’
The word ‘Shylock’ refers to a Jewish moneylender from William Shakespeare’s The Merchant of Venice who demands a pound of flesh. This term has a long history of being used to push offensive stereotypes about Jewish people and money.
Trump said, “You have to, by law, go after those people. And they made it like, ‘oh, he was some kind of a Shylock type guy,’ and if he didn’t make these requests, he would be breaking the law. He would have been breaking a very strong criminal law, and he would be subject to criminal arrest and liability.”
The president acknowledged the sensitivity of the remark before continuing. “So I don’t know if I should be saying it, but that’s the way it is,” Trump added. “Roger, I have to tell it like it is. You got screwed with that.” This rally was intended to help Marshall, who is currently trailing Democratic candidate Adam Hamilton in the polls. The midterm elections are scheduled for November 3, and Kansas has not sent a Democrat to the Senate since 1932.
This is not the first time the president has used this specific term in a public setting. In July 2025, during a rally in Des Moines, Iowa, Trump used the same word while discussing his spending bill. He said at the time, “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.”
After that incident, Trump claimed he was unaware of the term’s antisemitic history. He told reporters, “The meaning of Shylock is somebody that’s a moneylender at high rates,” and insisted that his use of the word was not intended to be offensive.
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) previously condemned the president for using the term in Iowa. The organization posted on X, “President Trump’s use of the term is very troubling and irresponsible.” They further stated that the remark highlights how conspiracies about Jewish people and greed remain present in the country. The group emphasized that words from national leaders carry significant weight.
The White House has been contacted for comment regarding these latest remarks.
Published: Oct 20, 2026 11:45 am