It went viral.
Rutte reacted violently to the reminder of the story from the journalist, explaining this by problems with English.
“This is due to my lack of knowledge of the English language,” said the NATO Secretary General. “Of course, later I realized that the word ‘daddy’ has many connotations.”
According to Rutte, Trump is “a cheerful person with a good sense of humor,” so the American side began to use this as a promotion on social networks and even printed it on T-shirts.
“It was never intended, but so be it. Now I carry it inside me, I live with it,” joked the NATO Secretary General.
Context
Rutte used the word “daddy” in reference to Trump during a joint speech at the NATO summit in The Hague on June 25, 2025, amid discussions about military action between Iran and Israel. The US President assured that the countries do not intend to continue attacking each other, comparing the war in the Middle East to a “children's fight.” Rutte supported this analogy and continued it. “And then daddy sometimes has to use rude language,” the secretary general said, recalling Trump’s recent scolding over the Iranian-Israeli strikes.
Later, in an interview with Reuters, Rutte said that he did not call Trump “daddy”, but only used a metaphor for him. He noted that sometimes he hears from NATO leaders the question of whether the United States will remain with the Alliance. It reminds Rutte of little children asking their father if he will stay with them.
