Overview
- In a sit-down with Politico’s Dasha Burns, Trump said “NATO calls me daddy” and asserted he pushed allies to raise contributions from 2% to 5% of GDP.
- NATO members issued a joint statement in June committing to a 5% defense-spending target, which Trump previously hailed as a win.
- Trump castigated European leaders as “weak” and said “Europe is being destroyed” by migration policies during the same exchange.
- Online reaction split quickly, with critics calling the remark embarrassing or “icky” while pro-Trump accounts highlighted the clip with laughing emojis.
- The phrasing traces to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who used a “daddy” metaphor earlier this year when discussing allied reliance on the United States.