Overview
- President Donald Trump used the term "Shylock" while defending Sen. Roger Marshall at a Kansas campaign rally on Monday, drawing notice because the word is widely viewed as an antisemitic slur.
- Trump also said Marshall was "mandated by law" to sue patients, a claim that multiple fact-checks rejected by noting there is no federal or Kansas law that forces doctors to file suit or requires judges to seek arrest warrants for unpaid medical bills.
- Last month The New York Times reported that Marshall and his former medical practice sued more than 700 patients for unpaid bills and that some cases led to arrest warrants; Marshall says he did not direct arrests and called the reporting a "hit job."
- The Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs and dozens of commentators condemned the language, and critics noted Trump used the same term at a rally in July 2025.
- Marshall’s seat is competitive this year and Democrats are using the medical-debt reporting in campaign ads, a dynamic that could intensify scrutiny of Marshall and make the president’s public defense a factor in the race.