Nato Chief Mark Rutte calls Trump ‘daddy’ in handling of Israel-Iran conflict

June 25, 2025 — The Hague: In a surprising moment during a joint press conference, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte referred to former U.S. President Donald Trump as “Daddy” after Trump used strong language while criticizing Iran and Israel for breaking a ceasefire agreement.

Speaking at the NATO summit, Trump described the conflict between the two countries as being like a fight between “kids in a schoolyard.”

“They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard. You let them fight for a few minutes, then it’s easy to stop them,” Trump said.

Rutte, standing beside him, laughed and added, “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get it stopped.”

Trump’s Harsh Words Over Ceasefire Breach

The comment came after Trump had earlier blasted both Israel and Iran, saying they broke the ceasefire as soon as it started.

“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f—k they’re doing,” Trump said Tuesday before leaving for the summit.

He later posted on Truth Social that the ceasefire was back in place and that Israeli planes had turned back, avoiding further escalation.

Praise from Rutte

Rutte went on to praise Trump during the event. He called the former U.S. president a “good friend” and credited him for pushing NATO countries to increase defense spending.

“When it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action… I think he deserves all the praise,” Rutte added.

Some reporters asked if he was being too flattering toward Trump. Rutte replied, “It’s a bit of a question of taste.”

Rutte, who previously served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands, has often been referred to as “The Trump Whisperer” due to his ability to connect with the former president.

Trump also shared screenshots of supportive messages from Rutte on social media, praising his leadership and his impact on NATO’s unity and spending goals.