NATO general secretary Mark Rutte called President Donald Trump “Dad” on Wednesday, reacting to the recent use of the president when he accused Iran and Israel of violating a high fire agreement.
The early hours of Wednesday, during a bilateral meeting between Trump and Rutte, during the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump compared the countries of Israel and Iran with “two children in a school patio” that had a “great fight.”
“You know, they fight like hell. You can’t stop them. Let them fight for about two or three minutes, so it is easy to stop them,” he continued.
Routte raised her eyebrows when she intervened: “Dad sometimes has to use a strong language to stop.”
“You have to use a strong language,” Trump agreed. “From time to time you have to use a certain word.”
President Donald Trump and NATO general secretary, Mark Rutte, attend a plenary meeting of the North Atlantic Council during the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, June 25, 2025.
Kin Cheung/Pool through Reuters
A day before, Trump was visibly frustrated by the Israel-Iran conflict, erasing an improper before leaving the White House on the way to the summit.
Trump was receptive to Routte’s nickname, saying during a press conference later on Wednesday that the secretary general said it affectionately.
When asked if Trump sees his NATO allies as his “children”, the president replied: “No, [Rutte] He liked it. I think he liked it. If you don’t, I will let you know. I will come back and hit it strongly, okay? He did it with love, ‘Daddy, you are my dad’ “.
Later, Routte defended his use of the word and continued praising Trump, describing him as a “good friend.” He also said that his language is a matter of taste.
In Trump’s decision to attack Iran and Alto El Fuego, Routte said: “I think it deserves all praise.”
President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 25, 2025.
Matthias Schrader/AP
Routte later He told Reuters that did not call Trump “dad”, but was using the term more metaphorically to describe the relationship between the United States and other nations.
“I ‘dad’, I didn’t call him ‘Dad’. … In Europe, I sometimes listen to countries that say: ‘Hey, Mark, will the United States stay with us?’ And I said that sounds a bit like a little boy and asked his dad: ‘Hey, do you still keep the family?’ “Routte told Reuters. “So, in that sense, I used ‘dad’, it is not that I called President Trump ‘Dad’.”
However, the White House continues to hug the title of “Dad”, Publication in x A video compilation of Trump’s NATO trip was established in the “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” Melody of Usher “with the text message that accompanies him:” Daddy’s Home … hey, hey, hey, dad. “
