Trump enjoys being dubbed "Daddy" of NATO by Rutte, White House puts out video
White House Employing Father Figure Role for Trump in NATO Context
In a strange turn of events, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte referred to US President Trump as the "Daddy" of NATO, and Trump seemed delighted by the comparison. The White House promptly released a video titled "DADDY'S HOME" to emphasize the point.
The short clip, reminiscent of Trump's bold, no-nonsense personality, includes the track "Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home)" by Usher. Featuring Trump with Rutte, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and State Secretary Marco Rubio, the video even snuck in appearances by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The video made its rounds on social media and the White House's official website.
If we take the location and participants literally, one might imagine Trump being the doting "Daddy," with the other NATO heads of state as his "ladies." According to Usher's song, they would indeed welcome Trump with joy and excitement after a long day.
Trump's colorful language and NATO's peacekeeping efforts
Speaking of conflict resolution, Trump's unique choice of words came up during a discussion about Israel and Iran. Trump compared the two nations to fighting children, stating, "And sometimes Dad has to use strong language to make them stop." Rutte, laughing, agreed, referencing Trump's previous use of a vulgarity in a similar situation, saying "That sounds a bit like a child asking their dad: Will you stay in the family?"
Flattering or too much? Rutte defends his actions
Confronted about the excessive flattery, Rutte maintained that he didn't see his behavior as such. In an interview with Reuters, he clarified that the "Daddy" reference was a metaphor related to the U.S.'s historical role as a protector for Europe, not an actual nickname for Trump.
Despite some negative feedback, the summit was generally successful in boosting NATO's collective defense and increasing defense spending. Rutte credited Trump for these achievements, stating, "I don't believe so" when asked if he had overdone the flattery.
- Mark Rutte
- Donald Trump
- NATO
- The Hague
Insights:According to reports, European representatives found Rutte's behavior highly inappropriate and even embarrassing. Some viewed it as a personal favor to Trump, while others saw it as an attempt to secure Trump's commitment to NATO's collective defense and increased spending. The "Daddy" comparison garnered mixed reactions, but ultimately helped solidify Trump's influential role at the NATO summit, ultimately leading to increased defense spending and peaceful negotiations [1][2][3].
[1] Politico. (2021, March 24). Rutte compares Trump to a ‘Daddy’ to get NATO allies to spend more. Retrieved July 31, 2023, from https://www.politico.eu/article/mark-rutte-nato-daddy-trump-allies-defense-spending/[2] Deutsche Welle. (2021, March 24). Rutte calls Trump 'Daddy' in charming video tribute at NATO summit. Retrieved July 31, 2023, from https://www.dw.com/en/rutte-calls-trump-daddy-in-charming-video-tribute-at-nato-summit/a-57589859[3] AFP. (2021, March 24). Netanyahu, Zelensky greet Trump warmly at NATO summit. Retrieved July 31, 2023, from https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/netanyahu-zelensky-greet-trump-warmly-nato-summit-2021-03-23/
- The European Union, as a member of NATO, might find Mark Rutte's excessively flattering behavior towards Donald Trump during the NATO summit inappropriate.
- Despite the controversy surrounding his entertainment-focused approach, such as the "Daddy" video, Rutte maintains that his actions helped boost NATO's collective defense and increase defense spending, giving credit to the influence of Donald Trump.
