【Text by Observers Network, Xiong Chaoran】At the recent NATO summit held in The Hague, Netherlands, Trump unexpectedly received a new nickname from NATO Secretary General Rutte — "Daddy." Now, Rutte has once again explained to U.S. media why he believes Trump deserves this title.

On July 2 local time, Rutte told Fox News' "Fox & Friends" program that his initial remarks about "Daddy" were a response to Trump's intense statements regarding the fragile Israel-Iran ceasefire agreement possibly breaking down. "Before Trump boarded the plane (to attend the NATO summit), Israel and Iran had already committed to a ceasefire, but on the morning of his departure, both sides said they might resume hostilities," he said.

The report said that Rutte's "Daddy" comment was quickly exploited by the White House. Later, the White House posted a one-minute video on its social media platform X, which reviewed Trump's return to the NATO summit and used the song "Daddy's Home" by Usher as background music, even adding a caption: "Daddy's home... hey, hey, hey, Daddy."

In response, Rutte found the video amusing. "The White House's follow-up video surprised me very much," he said. "It was really funny."

White House official account posts "funny" video on X platform

According to the report, at the end of last month, just before departing for the NATO summit, Trump was angry about Israel and Iran threatening the ceasefire agreement. "We have two countries that have been fighting for a long time, and they don't know what they are doing," he told reporters.

Later, on June 25 local time, during a meeting with Rutte at the NATO summit, Trump compared Israel and Iran to two children fighting on a school campus.

"They had a big fight, like two kids in a school. You know, they fought hard, and you couldn't stop them. Let them fight for about two or three minutes, then it's easy to stop them," Trump said.

Rutte then added, "Sometimes, the father has to use tough words to stop them." Trump also claimed, "You have to use strong language, and every now and then, you have to use certain specific words."

Rutte and Trump hold a press conference, screenshot

Later that day, Rutte tried to clarify that he did not consider the U.S. leader as "Daddy," but was just joking.

"I didn't call him 'Daddy,' " Rutte explained. "What I meant is that sometimes in Europe, I hear some countries say, 'Hey Mark, will the U.S. stand with us?' It sounds a bit like a child asking his father, 'Hey, are you still living with your family?' So in that sense, I used 'Daddy,' not because I was calling President Trump 'Daddy.'

Meanwhile, Trump seemed very pleased. At a later press conference, when asked if he considered NATO allies as his "children," he laughed and replied, "No, (Rutte) likes me, I think he likes me. If he didn't, I would tell you, I would come back and beat him up, OK? He said it very affectionately, 'Daddy, you're my Daddy.'"

Media outlets such as The Hill noticed that when Trump said this, U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, who was standing behind him, couldn't help but laugh quietly. In fact, even U.S. Defense Secretary Hegseth, who was standing on the other side, couldn't hold back his laughter.

Trump answers a journalist's question with a smile, while Rubio and Hegseth can't help but laugh. Screenshot

Additionally, to ensure that Trump could fly to The Hague, Netherlands, for the NATO summit and the summit proceeded smoothly, NATO Secretary General Rutte not only had member states meet Trump's demand to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP (Gross Domestic Product), but also sent a private message to flatter Trump.

Later, Trump shared this private message on his self-created social platform "Truth Social." The screenshot showed Rutte praising, "Congratulations on your decisive action in Iran, which is extraordinary, something others wouldn't dare to do."

"You are heading toward another great victory," Rutte specifically mentioned, stating that NATO had made member states agree to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP, which is "something no U.S. president has achieved in decades," "Europe will pay in a BIG way, which is what they should do, and it will be your victory."

A NATO official confirmed the authenticity of this private message to the British Financial Times.

The Guardian pointed out that Rutte's tone in the private message highlights how NATO and other Western leaders, despite being aware of Trump's unpredictable commitments to NATO, desperately want the summit to proceed smoothly and must take all measures to ensure this free-spirited U.S. president stands with them. NATO officials hope that, bolstered by the "successful euphoria" after U.S. airstrikes on Iran, he will continue to express support for NATO during closed-door meetings and subsequent press conferences.

However, NATO's promises and Rutte's flattering messages apparently did not completely "calm" Trump. While boarding Air Force One to attend the NATO summit, Trump was asked whether the U.S. would still abide by the commitment in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty regarding collective defense. He gave an ambiguous response, saying, "It depends on your definition; there are many definitions of Article 5, you know. But I promise to be their friend."

When asked to explain this vague answer, Trump said he was "committed to saving lives and maintaining security," but refused to elaborate during the flight.

This article is exclusive to Observers Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7522665793058865673/

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