The White House had some lighthearted fun this week after NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte made a remark that lit up social media. During a media appearance while standing beside President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague Rutte responded to a question about Trump’s comments on the Israel-Iran conflict.

President Trump had said the two nations “don’t know what the f–k they’re doing” and compared the situation to schoolchildren fighting in a playground. He explained that the nations fight like hell but then are easily pulled apart once someone steps in. That led Rutte to laugh and say “Daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get it stopped.”

White House Leans In With Viral ‘Daddy’s Home’ Clip

The comment quickly gained traction online and the White House joined the fun by posting a video on X featuring Trump returning to the U.S. The video was paired with Usher’s song “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” and included scenes from Trump’s NATO trip.

The clip was captioned “Daddy’s home… Hey hey hey Daddy” and has already gathered over 2.5 million views. The NATO chief later clarified the context saying the word “Daddy” referred to how European nations sometimes view U.S. leadership.

Rutte said some countries treat America like a father figure in global affairs and want reassurance the U.S. will stay involved. 

“In Europe I hear sometimes countries saying ‘Hey Mark will the US stay with us’ and I said that sounds a little bit like a small child asking his daddy ‘Hey are you still staying with the family’” Rutte explained.

Though the exchange was serious in tone the White House's playful response stirred laughter online and continued to fuel conversations about Trump’s strong language and leadership on the world stage.