Trump uses Usher’s ‘Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)’ song to flex as NATO’s ‘Daddy’ in new video

After Trump’s NATO summit appearance, the White House dropped a recap set to Usher’s “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home).”

The Trump administration took an interesting approach to reflecting on the president’s time at the NATO summit in the Netherlands. Last night, the White House’s social media accounts posted a highlight reel of Trump’s time at the summit with Usher’s song “Hey Daddy (Daddy’s Home)” playing in the background.

Yes, you read that right, and the song choice isn’t as random as you think.

???? Daddy’s home… Hey, hey, hey, Daddy.

President Donald J. Trump attended the NATO Summit in The Hague, Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/asJb5FD2Ii— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 26, 2025

Trump referring to himself as “daddy” is a nod to NATO Chief Mark Rutte’s use of the term to describe the president during a panel discussion with the president. In a conversation about the Iran-Israel conflicts, Rutte and Trump likened the situation to two bickering children. 

“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 2-3 minutes, then it’s easy to stop them,” Trump said, per Reuters. 

“And then daddy has to sometimes use strong language to get them to stop,” Rutte added, laughing, referencing Trump’s decision to bomb three Iranian nuclear locations over the weekend. 

That “daddy” moment, according to Rutte, was a nod to the U.S. more broadly, not Trump himself. But the president seems to have taken the label personally, leaning all the way in with the recap post that features him stepping off Air Force One, walking red carpets, and holding court with world leaders, all to Usher crooning, “Hey, hey, hey daddy.” 

The timing and tone aren’t lost on anyone paying attention. Especially not Black lawmakers, who criticized the administration’s airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend—an action Rutte praised as “decisive.” 

Rep. Maxine Waters called the strikes “tantamount to a declaration of war.” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries added, “Donald Trump promised to bring peace to the Middle East. He has failed to deliver that promise.”

Public opinion hasn’t been any warmer. A pre-strike survey found 60% of Americans disapproved of U.S. involvement in Middle East conflicts. A more recent Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed 79% fear retaliatory attacks, while 84% are uneasy about the growing instability.

Still, in the world according to Trump, he’s the one calling the shots. Now, one has to wonder if Usher ever imagined his 2010 song would end up as the soundtrack to a geopolitical flex.