During a press briefing at the NATO summit in The Hague, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte sparked headlines by referring to U.S. President Donald Trump as “daddy” while discussing Trump’s handling of the recent Iran-Israel ceasefire.
The comment came in response to Trump’s expletive-laden remarks on Tuesday, where he criticized both nations, stating they “don’t know what the f*** they’re doing” amid reports of ceasefire violations.
Rutte, addressing Trump’s colorful language, quipped, “Daddy sometimes has to use strong language to get it stopped,” drawing a comparison between Trump’s role in the conflict and a parent intervening in a schoolyard fight.
Trump, present at the briefing, responded lightheartedly, saying, “You have to use strong language, every once in a while, you have to use a certain word.”
The exchange followed Trump’s statement describing Iran and Israel as “two kids in a schoolyard” who needed to fight briefly before being separated.