&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Not my daddy! Mark Rutte explains 'daddy' comment about Donald Trump, calls it 'translation mistake' amid NATO tensions")
Mark Rutte has clarified why he controversially referred to Donald Trump as ‘daddy’ during an awkward joint appearance last year. The NATO secretary-general went viral in June after using the unusual term while responding to Trump’s remarks comparing Israel and Iran to ‘two kids in a schoolyard’. At the time, Rutte said, “Daddy has to use tough language.”
Speaking on Thursday (April 9) at the Ronald Reagan Institute, Rutte addressed the incident after being asked whether he still viewed Trump that way, even as tensions rose over NATO’s support in the US conflict with Iran. He dismissed the moment as a translation issue, saying, “It follows me a little bit, I can assure you.” He explained, “In Dutch, you would say, the translation of your father is daddy, and I said, ‘sometimes daddy has to be angry’. “So I was not calling him my daddy.
“But of course, daddy has all sorts of special connotations, and now I have to live with it for the rest of my life.” Laughing it off, he added, “And I own it. And the president owns it. He brought out t-shirts, he made a movie, ‘Daddy is home’, when he returned to the United States. This is why I like him so much. “You make mistakes, and this is when you are not a native speaker. Sorry for that.”
Rutte also confirmed he held a private meeting with Trump at the White House on Wednesday (April 8) evening. While details remain unclear, Donald Trump later claimed NATO had not supported the US when needed. Rutte downplayed any tension, describing their discussion as open and friendly, though acknowledging Trump was ‘clearly disappointed’ with allies.
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