NATO chief denies calling Trump ‘daddy’ during alliance summit
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he was not calling President Donald Trump “daddy,” explaining the remark was a metaphor for U.S. leadership.
- Trump’s campaign is selling “Daddy” merchandise featuring his mugshot after a NATO leader’s comment.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he wasn’t referring to Trump when he said “daddy has to sometimes use strong language.”
- The White House also released a video of Trump set to Usher’s “Hey Daddy.”
President Donald Trump’s supporters can now purchase a shirt that labels Trump as “daddy” following comments from a NATO leader.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte later said he wasn’t talking about Trump specifically when he said “daddy has to sometimes use strong language.”
But the Trump world has seized on the moment, releasing a video of Trump set to “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” by Usher on June 25.
Now, they’re selling “Daddy” merch, too. The Trump War Room, run by Trump’s campaign operation, posted June 26 on X a shirt with Trump’s mugshot that says “Daddy” in bold letters underneath. His mugshot was taken following his 2023 arrest in Georgia on charges alleging he tried to overturn the 2020 election results. (He pleaded not guilty, and the case is currently facing delays.)
The shirts are on sale for $35 and the Win Red website indicates they are available in a limited quantity.
Sizzle reel shows Trump at NATO summit set to ‘Hey Daddy’ by Usher
Trump was in the Netherlands for the NATO Summit on June 24 and 25. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles also traveled with him. The alliance of 32 countries agreed to increase their defense spending, which Trump has called a win.
But the “daddy” comment seems to have overshadowed much of the Summit news. The shirt follows a video created by the White House and posted on social media.
The video is something of a sizzle reel is set to “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” by Usher. The song is frequently used in TikTok videos, often as the background of flirtatious or sexualized videos of men.
Who called Trump ‘daddy?’
NATO Secretary Mark Rutte used the word “daddy,” but he denied that he used it to describe Trump.
“Daddy has to sometimes use strong language,” Rutte said. On his way to the summit, Trump cursed when talking about the Iran-Israel ceasefire, which appeared to be on shaky ground at the time.
Rutte said at a later press conference he was using “daddy” to refer to U.S. leadership in general, explaining that he views how some European countries talk about the U.S as a child-parent relationship.
Mark Rutte’s message to Trump: ‘It will be your win’
NATO leaders were generally complimentary of Trump in hopes that Trump would agree to their mutual defense principle.
The praise started before the summit, with a text from Rutte to Trump that the president later posted on social media.
“Donald, you have driven us to a really, really, important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” Rutte’s message read. “Safe travels and see you at His Majesty’s dinner!”
NATO Summit recap: Alliance gives Trump higher spending
NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, a security alliance of 32 countries from North America and Europe. The NATO Summit happens at key moments for the alliance rather than on regular periods. The last summit was held in Washington, D.C., in July 2024.
NATO leaders on June 25 endorsed higher defense spending that Trump has demanded.
“We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defense as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty – that an attack on one is an attack on all,” the brief communique stated, according to Reuters.
Contributing: John Bacon, Francesca Chambers, Jorge L. Ortiz, Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is the Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at kcrowley@gannett.com. Follow her on X and TikTok @kinseycrowley or Bluesky at @kinseycrowley.bsky.social.
