NATO Chief calls Trump "Daddy", Rubio giggles and the internet erupts | WATCH

Trump’s Reaction: “He Likes Me”

Never one to shy away from the spotlight, Trump leaned into the moment. Later in a press conference, when a Sky News reporter asked if he viewed NATO allies as “children” given Rutte’s remark, Trump chuckled, saying, “He did it very affectionately, ‘Daddy, you’re my daddy.’” The comment drew laughter from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reportedly “cracked up” in the background. Trump added, “He likes me, I think he likes me. If he doesn’t, I’ll let you know, and I’ll hit him hard, OK?”

The exchange showed the growing rapport between Trump and Rutte, a former Dutch prime minister known for his pragmatic and Atlanticist approach.

Rutte’s Defense: “It’s a Matter of Taste”

When pressed by reporters about whether his “daddy” comment and effusive praise made him appear “weak” or overly deferential, Rutte brushed it off. “I don’t think so. I think it’s a bit of a question of taste,” he said, calling Trump a “good friend” of over a decade. He later clarified that he wasn’t directly calling Trump “daddy” but using a metaphor to describe European allies’ occasional insecurity about U.S. commitment to NATO, likening it to a child asking, “Daddy, are you staying with the family?”

Rutte’s explanation did little to quell the chatter. On X, users called the remark everything from “cringey” to “humiliating.” One post lamented, “Europe’s humiliation reaches new depths,” while another dubbed Rutte “a total embarrassment.” The Bigger Picture: Flattery as Strategy

The “daddy” quip was no isolated gaffe. It fit into Rutte’s broader strategy of showering Trump with praise to secure his commitment to NATO. Days before the summit, Rutte sent Trump a private message, which the president shared on Truth Social, gushing about Trump’s “decisive action” in bombing Iran’s nuclear sites and securing NATO’s new 5% GDP defense spending target by 2035. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done,” Rutte wrote.

This charm offensive paid dividends. NATO leaders agreed to the ambitious 5% spending goal, a significant jump from the previous 2% benchmark, largely credited to Trump’s relentless pressure. Rutte repeatedly attributed the deal to Trump, saying it “wouldn’t have happened” without him. However, the flattery drew criticism from some European officials, with one anonymously telling POLITICO, “People are so embarrassed,” describing Rutte’s approach as “slavish.”

Rutte’s first term saw threats to pull out of NATO, and recent comments questioning Article 5—the alliance’s mutual defense clause—kept allies on edge. Rutte’s predecessor, Jens Stoltenberg, was dubbed the “Trump whisperer” for his deft handling of the president, but Rutte seems to have taken flattery to new heights, from private texts to public jests.

The “daddy” remark points to a deeper truth: NATO’s reliance on U.S. leadership and the lengths to which its leaders will go to keep Trump engaged. As one NATO military leader told The Guardian, Rutte’s diplomatic skills have been “brilliant” in managing Trump, securing the spending deal through months of country-by-country negotiations. Yet, as CNN noted, the summit was “sculpted around Trump,” with a slimmed-down schedule to accommodate his preferences.

For Trump, the summit was a triumph. He left The Hague with NATO’s spending commitment and praise for his Middle East ceasefire efforts, despite questions about their long-term success. For Rutte, the “daddy” comment was a risky but calculated play, blending humor with deference to keep the alliance’s most powerful member on board. As he knows all too well, in the world of Trump-era diplomacy, a little humor and a lot of praise can go a long way.