The White House marked President Donald Trump鈥檚 return from the NATO summit by releasing an eye-catching music video set to Usher鈥檚 popular track 鈥楬ey Daddy (Daddy鈥檚 Home).鈥
Just a few hours before the video鈥檚 debut, NATO head Mark Rutte found himself in a tricky situation when he mistakenly seemed to call Trump 鈥榙addy,鈥 leading him to issue a public correction.
During a meeting of the defence bloc in the Hague yesterday, Rutte and Trump met following the US president鈥檚 crass comment on the Iran-Israel war.
Rutte said on Wednesday that 鈥楧addy has to use strong language鈥 to get Israel and Iran to sort things out, to which Trump agreed.
The NATO chief鈥檚 comments raised eyebrows across the world, and the new White House video implies the president is in on the joke.
The video features Trump descending from the plane as enthusiastic crowds gather along the streets. The scene is paired with lyrics like 鈥楧addy鈥檚 home, home for me / And I know you鈥檝e been waiting for this loving all day / You know your daddy鈥檚 home and it鈥檚 time to play.鈥
The music video features snippets of Trump鈥檚 meetings at NATO, including with Rutte. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also features in the video.
In another section, as Trump is formally introducing himself to officials and working the crowd, Usher sings 鈥楬ey, hey, hey Daddy.鈥
The video attracted a mixed response from social media users, some praising the creativity of the White House social media team while others asked: 鈥榃ho does this appeal to?鈥
鈥榃e are not a serious people,鈥 one critic said, while another added 鈥榥ot sure this is what Usher had in mind.鈥
MAGA fans who had earlier seen the 鈥榙addy鈥 interaction with Rutte felt like they were 鈥榠n on the joke鈥 and praised the White House for the good natured humor.
鈥楲ove him or hate him, when Trump shows up, the whole room shifts. You can feel the energy, like it or not, Daddy did walk back in,鈥 one supporter wrote.
Another added: 鈥楾hey said No Kings not No Daddy.鈥
Former prime minister of the Netherlands Rutte was forced to backtrack on his comments later in the day as they gained global notoriety.
He said: 鈥楾he daddy thing, I didn鈥檛 call [Trump] daddy, what I said, is that sometimes鈥 In Europe, I hear sometimes countries saying, 鈥榟ey, Mark, will the US stay with us?鈥
鈥楢nd I said, 鈥榯hat sounds a little bit like a small child asking his daddy, 鈥榟ey, are you still staying with the family鈥? So in that sense, I use daddy, not that I was calling President Trump daddy.鈥
But Trump himself appeared to enjoy being called 鈥榙addy鈥 as he was referred to at Wednesday鈥檚 Nato Summit in the Hague by Rutte, who has led the defence bloc since October 2024.
During Trump鈥檚 whirlwind press conference that marked his final appearance at the summit, a reporter asked him how he felt when Rutte had referred to the American president as 鈥榙addy鈥 earlier in the day.
鈥楴o, he likes me, I think he likes me! If he doesn鈥檛 I鈥檒l let you know and I鈥檒l come back and I鈥檒l hit him hard OK?鈥 Trump told the journalist.
鈥楬e did it very affectionately though,鈥 Trump continued. 鈥滵addy, you鈥檙e my daddy,鈥 the president said with a smile.
Trump had earlier said during his meeting with Rutte that he believed the Iran-Israel ceasefire will hold.
鈥楾hey鈥檙e not going to be fighting each other, they鈥檝e had it,鈥 the president argued.
鈥楲ike two kids in the schoolyard, they fight like hell, you can鈥檛 stop them. Let them fight for two or three minutes then it鈥檚 easy to stop them.鈥
The 鈥榮choolyard鈥 comment prompted Rutte鈥檚 鈥榙addy鈥 observation.
After less than 24 hours on the ground in the Netherlands, Trump headed back to Washington having secured a major policy change he鈥檚 pushed for since 2017: a significant boost in defense spending by other NATO countries.
At a news conference later Wednesday, Trump described feeling inspired by other NATO countries that were motivated to provide for their own defense by bolstering their own spending.
鈥楾hey want to protect their country, and they need the United States, and without the United States, it鈥檚 not going to be the same,鈥 Trump said.
鈥業 left here differently. I left here saying, 鈥漈hese people really love their countries. It鈥檚 not a rip-off.鈥 And we are here to help them protect their country.鈥
But Trump was furious during the summit following reporting by both CNN and the New York Times that the damage to Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities from Saturday night鈥檚 bombing was not as severe as they had hoped.
He has issued several rebukes of the reporting, taking aim at 鈥榝ake news鈥 for trying to discredit the operation while simultaneously demanding the person who leaked incomplete intel be jailed.
He shared a Truth Social post on Wednesday revealing Pete Hegseth, who he described as the 鈥楽ecretary of Defense (War!)鈥 will deliver a major update to the American people on Thursday morning about the success of the operation.
The conference will be to 鈥榝ight for the Dignity of our Great American Pilots,鈥 he wrote.
鈥楾hese Patriots were very upset! After 36 hours of dangerously flying through Enemy Territory, they landed, they knew the Success was LEGENDARY.
鈥楾hen, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times.鈥
Trump said 鈥榯hey felt terribly鈥 about what they were reading, but were assured the stories were 鈥榮olely for the purpose of demeaning PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP.
鈥楾he Fake News (Times and CNN) lied and totally misrepresented the Facts, none of which they had (because it was too soon, there were no Facts out there yet!).
鈥楾he News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable,鈥 he vowed.