The Hague (National Times): In an unexpected moment of levity during the tense backdrop of the Israel-Iran ceasefire negotiations, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte gave US President Donald Trump a surprising new nickname: “Daddy.”
The moniker emerged during a NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, where Rutte praised Trump’s role in mediating the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, comparing the situation to a schoolyard brawl that needed firm intervention.
“They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard,” President Trump said, referring to the two long-time rivals. “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, chuckling at the analogy, added his spin: “And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop.”
The comment was about Trump’s recent emotional outburst during a press briefing at the White House before departing for the summit, where he expressed frustration over Iran and Israel’s continued escalation despite the ceasefire.
“The two countries have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing, do you understand that?” Trump had told reporters, in what many saw as an unusually blunt moment, even by Trump’s standards.
When asked about Rutte’s remark, Trump laughed and acknowledged the reaction to his language. “Everyone said, ‘Well, you have to use a certain word,’” he said with a grin.
While the ceasefire brokered by the U.S. has drawn both praise and skepticism, Trump’s colorful metaphors and unfiltered expressions continue to make headlines, this time earning him an unexpected role as the “dad” trying to stop two feuding nations from tearing the neighborhood apart.
