Reporter from the Daily Mail asked Rutte: Did you call Trump "Dad" again this time?
On April 9, 2026, shortly after NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte concluded a closed-door meeting with U.S. President Trump, he was questioned by journalists: "Are you still calling Trump 'dad'?" Rutte once again denied it, smiling as he explained.
Rutte blamed a "translation error": He reiterated that this was a slip of the tongue by a non-native speaker. The direct translation from Dutch easily led to ambiguity—he never meant to say "my dad."
Smiling through embarrassment: He admitted that this "dad" meme might follow him for life, and he’d just have to accept it.
Joking about Trump: He also mentioned that Trump’s team had not only filmed a video titled "Dad Is Back," but also released T-shirts, joking, "That’s exactly why I like him so much."
This meme originated in June 2025, when Rutte echoed Trump’s metaphor by saying, "At this moment, we need Dad to step in with strong words."
At the time, Rutte was visiting the U.S. to help defuse tensions, as Trump had threatened to withdraw from NATO due to insufficient support from allies on Iran-related issues. Under such tense circumstances, the media’s use of this old joke felt particularly biting.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862136039888896/
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