NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte found himself clarifying a colorful comment made during a joint press appearance with President Donald Trump on Wednesday.
Rutte referred to the U.S. Commander-in-Chief using the word “daddy” in a moment that both amused and drew headlines.
The comment, meant humorously, nonetheless reflected a broader truth: Europe is once again looking to America — and specifically to President Trump — for leadership in a world fraught with escalating conflict.
“The daddy thing, I didn’t call him ‘daddy,’” Rutte told reporters later in the day. “What I said is that sometimes, in Europe, I hear sometimes countries saying, ‘Hey, Mark, will the U.S. stay with us?’ And I said that sounds a little bit like a small child asking his daddy, ‘Hey, are you still staying with the family?’ So in that sense, I used ‘daddy’ — not that I was calling President Trump daddy.”
The moment came after Rutte used the term while referencing Trump’s blunt rhetoric during his rebuke of Israel and Iran for violating a fragile ceasefire.
“Sometimes daddy needs to use strong language,” Rutte joked, defending Trump’s unfiltered comments about Middle Eastern hostilities. The president had made waves Tuesday when he blasted both countries, saying they’d been fighting for so long that they “don’t know what the f— they’re doing.”
Trump’s Demands on NATO Spending Begin to Bear Fruit
Rutte didn’t just joke about Trump — he praised him, too. The Dutch leader commended the president for taking a hard line on defense spending, a persistent issue in the alliance that Trump has long criticized.
Rutte noted that member nations were “on the cusp of agreeing to the president’s 5 percent demand,” a significant move beyond the previous 2.7 percent GDP target set last year.
“We have to keep ourselves safe from our adversaries, but also because it’s fair to equalize with the United States,” Rutte said, signaling strong support for Trump’s America-first diplomacy that demands fairness and accountability from U.S. allies.
Rutte also praised President Trump’s recent authorization of military strikes on three nuclear facilities in Iran — a bold response to Tehran’s provocations — and his ongoing support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian aggression.
While leftist governments in Europe like Spain have pushed back against higher defense contributions, most NATO allies are finally recognizing the need to invest in their own security — thanks in large part to Trump’s tough-love approach.
“NATO is going to become very strong with us,” Trump said confidently. “We’re with them all the way.”
