The White House is leaning into a viral moment from the NATO summit after Secretary General Mark Rutte referred to President Donald Trump as “daddy” during a public exchange.
At Wednesday’s meeting in The Hague, Rutte made the comment while joking about Trump’s forceful rhetoric toward Israel and Iran over recent ceasefire violations. “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop,” Rutte said with a laugh, sitting beside the president.
In response, the White House posted a video titled “Daddy’s home,” set to Usher’s song “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home),” featuring slow-motion clips of Trump at the summit. The post quickly went viral.
Capitalizing on the moment, pro-Trump merchandise branded with “Daddy” has started appearing online.
🚨 “DADDY” MERCH OUT NOW!https://t.co/YAxVOAdj8y pic.twitter.com/08PnAHhtFX
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) June 26, 2025
The president, who has long styled himself as a dominant negotiator on the world stage, said Rutte did so affectionately.
