White House embraces Trump's ‘Daddy' nickname: How it began vs how it is going - WATCH all moments here

The White House has found a new way to keep the humour intact after the United States President Donald Trump was called ‘Daddy’ by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte. The White House on Friday (June 27) posted a video showing a T-shirt design with Trump photo and ‘Daddy Home’ written in the background. The video had ‘Daddy Home’ track by Usher added to it. Trump's ‘Daddy’ saga began when Mark Rutte said that Trump behaved like a 'Daddy' in dealing with Iran and Israel. Rutte's remark was in response to Trump's usual comparison of Iran and Israel as “two school kids.”

How ‘Daddy’ saga began and how is it going?

Ahead of boarding Air Force One to attend the NATO Summit in the Netherlands, Trump asked about violation of ceasefire by Israel and Iran. He angrily answered, "The two countries have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the fuck they're doing, do you understand that?" Trump on June 24 declared that a ceasefire had been agreed between Israel and Iran and war had stopped, but both countries violated it soon after his announcement and fired missiles at each other. This was a major upset for Trump, who warned Israel against bombing Iran and lost his cool in front of reporters.

During a conversation with Mark Rutte in the Netherlands on the sidelines of the NATO Summit, Trump was asked by him about Iran and Israel. Trump compared the West Asian adversaries to “two kids in a school yard” who “fight like hell". He added, "You know, they fight like hell. You can't stop them. Let them fight for about two, three minutes, then it's easier to stop." Rutte interjected, laughing: “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop,” referring to Trump's usage of the F-word. Trump laughed at Rutte's remark and said, “Everyone said 'Well, you have to use a certain word.”

Later, during a press briefing, a Sky News reporter asked Trump whether he saw NATO allies as his children in light of the nickname given by Rutte. Trump smiled at the question while Secretary of State Marco Rubio chuckled while standing behind him. "No, he likes me. I think he likes me. If he doesn't, I'll let you know. I'll come back and I'll hit him hard, OK…He did it very affectionately though, ‘Daddy, you’re my daddy,'” Trump said.

However, Rutte, during an interaction with Reuters, denied calling Trump ‘daddy’ while he praised the US president for his role in the Iran-Israel conflict. "In Europe, I sometimes hear countries say, 'Hey Mark, will the US stay with us?' and I said that sounds a bit like a small child asking his daddy, 'Are you still staying with the family?'" he said. “In that sense, I used the word 'daddy.' I was not calling President Trump that.” When asked whether this analogy implied that other NATO members are like children who are only now maturing, Rutte responded that they have already grown up but now recognise the need to take on greater responsibility.

The White House appeared to lean into the humour, posting a playful edit of the moment on X (formerly Twitter). They shared the video of President Donald Trump at the NATO summit, set to the tune of Usher’s Daddy’s Home. Within minutes, “Daddy” became the internet’s favourite new moniker for Trump.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Trump has been called ‘Daddy’. In a 2023 interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, golfer John Daly said he and fellow golfers “want Daddy Trump back.” Trump posted about the reference on Truth Social at the time and again a few months later. Daly has said he has called Trump “daddy” since the two met in 1992.