President Donald Trump drew attention on Wednesday after claiming that leaders connected to NATO had referred to him as “daddy,” a remark he made while discussing U.S. support for Europe, the war in Ukraine, and his renewed push for control of Greenland.
Speaking during remarks focused on NATO and European security, Trump argued that the United States has carried an outsized burden for the alliance, both financially and militarily, while receiving little appreciation in return. He questioned what the U.S. has gained from its involvement in Ukraine beyond “death, destruction, and massive amounts of cash,” saying the conflict primarily affects Europe, not America.
“They have to work on Ukraine. We don’t. The United States is very far away. We have a big, beautiful ocean separating us,” Trump said, emphasizing his view that European nations should take greater responsibility for the war.
As he described his past relationship with NATO leaders, Trump claimed that their attitude toward him shifted dramatically after recent disputes over Greenland. “Until the last few days when I told them about Iceland they loved me,” Trump said, before adding, “They called me daddy, right, the last time. A very smart man said, he’s our daddy. He’s running it.”
“Iceland, they love me,” Donald Trump says about Greenland. “They called me ‘Daddy’ last time. A very smart man said, ‘He’s our daddy. He’s running it.’”
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 21, 2026
WTAF…
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Trump said that praise eventually turned into criticism, portraying the change as sudden and politically motivated. “I was like running it. I went from running it to being a terrible human being,” he said.
He tied the remark directly to his argument that the United States deserves concessions from its allies after decades of support, framing Greenland as a strategic asset critical to global security. Trump described the territory as “a piece of ice, cold and poorly located,” but said it could play “a vital role in world peace and world protection.” He characterized the proposal as modest compared to what the U.S. has provided Europe over the years.
“It’s a very small ask compared to what we have given them for many, many decades,” Trump said.
Trump also reiterated his skepticism of NATO’s mutual defense commitment, questioning whether alliance members would defend the United States if it were under threat. “The problem with NATO is that we’ll be there for them 100%, but I’m not sure that they’d be there for us if we gave them the call,” he said.
The comments came as Trump again pushed for an end to the war in Ukraine, calling it “the worst since World War II” and warning that casualties could surpass those of the last global conflict. He said he believes both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky want to reach a deal, arguing that stopping the war is his sole motivation.
