NATO chief clarifies Trump comments: 'I didn't call him daddy'
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte clarified his comment where he referred to President Trump as "daddy", stating that he meant it in the sense that some European countries ask the US to stay with them, and not as an actual nickname.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte sought to clarify an eyebrow-raising comment he made during a bilateral news conference with President Trump on Wednesday: He doesn't consider the U.S. leader "daddy" and was making a reference in jest.
"The daddy thing, I didn't call him 'daddy,'" Rutte told reporters later in the day. "What I said is that sometimes, in Europe, I hear sometimes countries saying, 'Hey, Mark, will the U.S. stay with us?' And I said that sounds a little bit like a small child asking his daddy, 'Hey, are you still staying with the family?' So in that sense, I used 'daddy' — not that I was calling President Trump daddy."
Rutte drew attention — and jokes from Trump — after he invoked the word "daddy" while describing the president's response to Israel and Iran's military conflict.
"Sometimes daddy needs to use strong language," Rutte said with a laugh, referring to Trump using the f-word to rebuke the Middle Eastern countries on Tuesday.
Trump laughed off the remark during a later news conference.
"He did it very affectionately though, 'Daddy, you're my daddy,'" Trump said, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio chuckled behind him.
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