During their comments, Trump referred to the recent ceasefire established between Israel and Iran following U.S. airstrikes on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities.
“They’ve had a big fight, like two kids in a schoolyard, 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 them.”
“Then sometimes daddy needs to use strong language,” Rutte chuckled in response.
Trump shared in the laugh, agreeing that “every once in a while you need to use a certain word.”
Later, when Trump was asked about the “daddy” comment, he said: “No, he likes me, I think he likes me. If he doesn’t, I’ll let you know, and I’ll hit him hard. He did it very affectionately — ‘Daddy, you’re my daddy.’”
The back-and-forth was in reference to Trump’s furious reaction to Israel’s attempt to break its ceasefire with Iran only hours after it was established. The Jewish state claimed that Iran had attempted to break the agreement first, but the White House ordered the Israel Defense Forces to abandon their attack.
“You know we basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*** they’re doing,” a furious Trump told reporters on Tuesday before boarding Marine One.
Rutte has been Trump’s top cheerleader this week, calling the president “dear Donald” and saying his actions in the Middle East were “truly extraordinary.”
Trump posted the effusive praise on his social media platform, Truth Social. Rutte also assured Trump that NATO member nations were prepared to meet his demand to spend 5% of GDP on defense.
“Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done. Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win.”
NATO members agreed on Wednesday to implement the 5% of GDP spending requirement and issued a statement declaring themselves “united in the face of profound security threats and challenges.”
TRUMP SHARES ADORING TEXTS FROM NATO CHIEF AHEAD OF 5% DEFENSE SPENDING AGREEMENT
Member states will have until 2035 to reach the spending threshold, giving less defense-oriented nations approximately a decade to match their peers.
Countries must show a “credible, incremental path to reach this goal” via annual reports.
