President Trump's surprising interaction with Ukrainian reporter
The US president took an interest in a Ukrainian reporter's background during a NATO press conference.
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9 News
36 minutes ago
- 9 News
White House uses Usher's 'Hey Daddy' to mark US President's return from NATO summit
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here US President Donald Trump has been welcomed home from the NATO summit with an eyebrow-raising video montage set to Usher's Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) . The official White House X account posted the video today set to the 2010 R&B single from the singer's Raymond v Raymond album. President Donald Trump arrives on Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. (AP) Trump was later asked about the remark. "Mark Rutte, the NATO chief who is your friend, he called you 'Daddy' earlier. Do you regard your NATO allies as kind of children?" a reporter said. Trump replied: "No, he likes me. I think he likes me. If he doesn't, I'll let you know. I'll come back and I'll hit him hard, OK? He did, he did it very affectionately, Daddy, you're my daddy." Rutte later clarified his remarks likened Trump relationship with Europe to a father figure. "What I said is that sometimes, in Europe, I hear sometimes countries saying, 'Hey, Mark, will the US stay with us?'," he said. "And I said that sounds a little bit like a small child asking his daddy, 'Hey, are you still staying with the family?'" World Donald Trump USA social media nato CONTACT US
7NEWS
an hour ago
- 7NEWS
NATO members commit to spending hike sought by US President Donald Trump
NATO leaders have backed a big increase in military spending that US President Donald Trump had demanded, and restated their commitment to defend each other from attack after a brief summit in the Netherlands. While Trump got what he wanted at the annual meeting, tailor-made for him, his NATO allies will be relieved that he committed to the military alliance's fundamental principle of collective defence. Trump told a press conference that 'we had a great victory here', adding that he hoped that the additional funds would be spent on military hardware made in the United States. However, he threatened to punish Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared it could meet its commitments to NATO while spending much less than the new target of five per cent of GDP. 'I think it's terrible. You know, they (Spain) are doing very well ... And that economy could be blown right out of the water when something bad happens,' Trump said, adding that Spain would get a tougher trade deal from the US than other European Union countries. In a five-point statement, NATO endorsed the higher defence spending goal - a response not only to Trump but also to Europeans' fears that Russia poses a growing threat to their security following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The 32 allies' brief communique added: 'We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all.' Asked to clarify his own stance on Article 5, Trump said: 'I stand with it. That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here.' Trump had long demanded in no uncertain terms that other countries step up their spending to reduce NATO's heavy reliance on the US. Despite an appearance of general agreement, French President Emmanuel Macron raised the issue of the steep import tariffs threatened by Trump, and the damage they may do to transatlantic trade, as a barrier to increased military spending. 'We can't say we are going to spend more and then, at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war,' Macron said, calling it 'an aberration'. He said he had raised it several times with Trump. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, who hosted the summit in his home city of The Hague, said NATO would emerge as a 'stronger, fairer and more lethal' alliance. The former Dutch prime minister said Trump deserved 'all the praise' for getting NATO members to agree on raising defence spending. Asked by a reporter if he had deployed excessive flattery to keep Trump onside during the summit, Rutte said the two men were friends and judgment of his approach was a matter of taste. The new spending target - to be achieved over the next 10 years - is a jump worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year from the current goal of two per cent of GDP, although it will be measured differently. Countries pledged to spend 3.5 per cent of GDP on core defence - such as troops and weapons - and 1.5 per cent on broader defence-related measures such as cybersecurity, protecting pipelines and adapting roads and bridges to handle heavy military vehicles.
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
How four-letter shock and awe can stop a war
This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks. It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal. It is, of course, the F-bomb. We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway. By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out. A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well. At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most. I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call. And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration? Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief. Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances. Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections. For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty. HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties". - A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels. - A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years. THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize. "It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind." David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up." As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed." David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks. It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal. It is, of course, the F-bomb. We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway. By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out. A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well. At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most. I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call. And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration? Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief. Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances. Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections. For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty. HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties". - A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels. - A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years. THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize. "It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind." David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up." As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed." David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks. It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal. It is, of course, the F-bomb. We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway. By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out. A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well. At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most. I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call. And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration? Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief. Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances. Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections. For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty. HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties". - A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels. - A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years. THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize. "It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind." David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up." As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed." David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it." This is a sample of The Echidna newsletter sent out each weekday morning. To sign up for FREE, go to Dropped from a great height it can penetrate the thickest structure before detonating inside. Without warning, it can deliver shock and awe, stopping everything in its tracks. It's neither bunker buster nor hypersonic missile. It doesn't come with a huge price tag and doesn't require a stealth bomber to get it to the target. Used sparingly, it can be the most effective weapon in an arsenal. It is, of course, the F-bomb. We saw how effective it can be when Donald Trump dropped it on a stunned media pack just before he left for the NATO conference in the Netherlands the other day. The whole world took notice because it was beamed live across multiple platforms. And after 12 days of intense missile exchanges, it shocked the leaders of Israel and Iran into stopping their violations of the ceasefire they'd just agreed to. One word stopped the war - for the moment anyway. By chance I caught it on the BBC live stream as it happened. Did he just say that? I asked myself before the anchor confirmed it by apologising for the profanity. In subsequent airings, Trump's F-bomb was bleeped out. A shame really. Sanitised, the video grab loses its punch. It dilutes the obvious, rage-inducing frustration the President was feeling, his impending victory lap at NATO threatened by the actions of Israel especially and Iran as well. At first, I thought the bleeping out sanctimonious. We live in an era in which our screens are so peppered with F and C-bombs we hardly notice them any more. But then perhaps bleeping out Trump's lent it even more power. The word that can't be said was the word that mattered most. I have no doubt Trump and presidents before (and after) routinely deploy these word bombs liberally behind closed doors. And I have no doubt Trump dropped a blizzard of them on Benjamin Netanyahu when he called him from Air Force One on the way to the NATO summit. It was described as an "exceptionally firm and direct" phone call. And if we're honest, who hasn't dropped an F-bomb or three in moments of stress and frustration? Studies show they're extremely effective in masking pain. Swearing stimulates the brain's amygdala, which releases adrenaline. The heart rate quickens, the skin's conductivity is increased and, most importantly, because we're bellowing words forbidden to us as children, we're momentarily distracted from whatever it is that's causing us grief. Stubbed toe, packaging that refuses to open, tail-gating ute, smart alec Israeli Prime Minister ... a well-timed F-bomb will have an analgesic effect over most annoyances. Surprisingly, used appropriately, swear words can also foster social connections. For a brief moment on the White House lawn, Trump dropped his TV persona. Even his harshest critics - and, believe me, I'm no fan - could empathise with his frustration. The F-bomb not only stopped the fighting; it dropped Trump's performative mask for a couple of seconds. A rare moment of honesty. HAVE YOUR SAY: Does swearing make you feel better when you've hurt yourself? Is there too much of it on TV these days? Have you ever stopped a conversation with a well-timed F-bomb? Email us: echidna@ SHARE THE LOVE: If you enjoy The Echidna, forward it to a friend so they can sign up, too. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: - A casual ABC radio host awarded $70,000 after being unlawfully fired for her opinion on the Israel-Gaza conflict will seek "significant penalties". - A vast majority of Australia's drinking water supplies meet new "forever chemicals" safety limits, but an expert warns more research needs to be done to understand true safe levels. - A surprise fall in inflation has boosted hopes of an interest rate cut after a key measure dropped to its lowest level in nearly four years. THEY SAID IT: "Under certain circumstances, urgent circumstances, desperate circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer." - Mark Twain YOU SAID IT: Proclaiming peace in times of conflict is a risky business but Donald Trump has his eyes set firmly on the prize - the Nobel peace prize. "It's a bit early to be dishing out peace prizes for facilitating the end of this war," writes Ian, who thinks it's unfair to equate Neville Chamberlain with Trump. "Chamberlain may have sold Czechoslovakia down the river with the Munich Agreement, but he did have some good excuses. Britain had gone through a horrific war only 20 years earlier that cost the lives of one million of its citizens and avoiding a repeat of this weighed heavily in Chamberlain's mind." David from Burradoo writes: "Well said, John. Trump might just as well have declared 'Peas in Our Thyme!', except that he's a raw meat kinda guy. His fragile yet boundless ego requires constant soothing by way of public recognition of his manifold contributions to mankind. This whole superbomb Iran thing is to assuage his hurt feelings at the abysmal birthday parade turnout and the massive 'No Kings!' rallies across the US. The sooner we detach ourselves from this lunatic, the better. Pope's cartoon succinctly sums it up." As for Iran's nuclear ambitions, Morry from Melbourne writes: "It may well be holding sufficient Californium 252 to trigger fission of its maybe 600kg of U235 and or otherwise plutonium bred in its reactor from a mix of U235 and 238. The problem will be the safe building of a critical mass sphere - a little less than 18cm in diameter. The firing of sections together cannot afford the faintest error - otherwise a radiation flash (at the very least) as will be lethal to a considerable distance. Smaller spheres can be devised, but great skill is required and maybe the skilled have been killed." David from Kangaroo Flat writes: "He does warrant a prize for something. The extraordinary distraction he has created away from his stupendous failure in the Russia-Ukraine conflict; that deserves a prize. Some sort of Nobel Spin Doctor prize. What happened to his 'I will finish the Ukraine conflict within 24 hours' boast? At this stage, it would seem that if any of the current world conflicts do end, it will be despite Trump's meddling and not because of it."
