NATO chief defends 'daddy' Trump after president shared his private text message with worrying threat to Europe
NATO chief Mark Rutte referred Donald Trump as 'daddy' during an awkward exchange while discussing the ceasefire between Iran and Israel.
Members of military alliance NATO, which includes the UK, America, Canada and Germany, are currently meeting in The Netherlands for their annual military alliance summit – and it seems that officials are using the event to bend over backwards and placate Donald Trump.
President Trump is notoriously critical of NATO, even suggesting in the past that he would pull the United States out of the alliance unless countries drastically increased their defence spending.
Which would explain why Rutte and his team are seemingly doing everything possible to flatter the 79-year-old Republican leader. Even if it means gushing text messages and referring to him as 'daddy'.
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The NATO Secretary General uttered the phrase during a televised meeting with the president, after the topic of his shaky Israel and Iran ceasefire was brought up.
Trump told reporters that he believed the ceasefire would hold as both countries were tired of fighting, before comparing the two nations to children fighting in a playground.
"Like two kids in the schoolyard, they fight like hell, you can't stop them. Let them fight for two or three minutes then it's easy to stop them," he said.
It was here that Rutte interjected to add: "Daddy has to use strong language."
Check out the moment below:
"You have to use strong language, every once in a while you have to use a certain word," Trump then added, referring to his accidental F-bomb reaction after learning the ceasefire had nearly collapsed.
Rutte also made sure to praise Trump's re-election more generally, telling the president and watching press teams: "This would not have happened if you would not have been elected in 2016 and re-elected last year... so I want to thank you."
When asked whether his flattery of Trump was 'demeaning', Rutte disagreed, adding: "It is a question of taste.
'He is a good friend, and when he is doing stuff, which is forcing us… when it comes to making more investments, would that have been the result of this summit if he would have not been re-elected president?"
Trump was later asked by Sky News reporter, Deborah Haynes, about whether he considers his NATO allies his 'children' after Ruttes' comment, to which he replied: "No he likes me, I think he likes me! If he doesn't I'll let you know and I'll come back and I'll him him hard, ok?" he said.
"[Rutte] did it very affectionately though, "daddy, you're my daddy."
This isn't the only time which Rutte has had to swallow his pride when it comes to Donald Trump in the past couple of days, with the US President leaking a series of nauseatingly nice texts from the Dutch man yesterday.
"Mr. President, dear Donald," Rutte's wrote, before going on to praise the 78-year-old for his role in achieving a ceasefire.
Keen to get on Trump's good side, Rutte went on to reveal that European counties had agreed to raise their defence spending, adding: "Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.
"Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win."
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, World News
Brenna Cooper