WASHINGTON — A message came across commending Donald Trump for his decisive actions concerning Iran, overflowing with compliments about reaching achievements unattained by other American presidents for decades. It wasn’t an enthusiastic supporter speaking or Trump lauding himself online in uppercase letters as is often his style. Rather, this was NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte singing high praises to Trump while traveling to a NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Looking at a screenshot shared by Trump on his social media platform, Rutte’s message begins with an intimate greeting, “Mr. President, dear Donald.” He continued, “Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer.” This seemingly flattery-laden tone might have been strategic, perhaps a move to curry favor with Trump before a vital meeting. Such effusive admiration is reminiscent of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approach during trade negotiations with the U.S., aiming to alleviate the steep tariffs Trump promised on British imports.
Rutte’s message advanced with: “You are flying into another big success in The Hague this evening. It was not easy, but we’ve got them all signed onto 5 percent!” Referring to NATO members mostly agreeing to the U.S. president’s insistence on defense spending equaling 5% of their GDP. This agenda had been a significant part of Trump’s demands for months.
Continuing with his compliments, Rutte elaborated, “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world. You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.” He added, “Europe is going to pay in a BIG way, as they should, and it will be your win. Safe travels and see you at His Majesty’s dinner!”
NATO verified Rutte’s authorship of the message and its transmission on Tuesday while withholding further specifics about the communication medium used. Based on the font style and screen symbols in Trump’s posting, it seems the message might have been channeled via the encrypted messaging application Signal, where auto-deletion of messages is an option, prompting concerns about the archiving of presidential communications for official records.
Signal gained attention due to a scandal involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, accused of using the unapproved and unsecured app to disseminate classified information concerning a planned U.S. airstrike in Yemen this past March. Trump was quick to defend Hegseth, stating, “I have no idea what Signal is. I don’t care what Signal is.” However, he also mentioned, “I would frankly tell these people not to use Signal.”
The White House confirmed on Tuesday that the message is genuine and was passed onto Trump through staff using a government device, but declined to specify whether it was delivered via Signal or another application.
This incident is not unprecedented regarding leaders sending Trump messages, which he subsequently shares publically. Just last week, Trump unveiled a personal text from Mike Huckabee, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, involving religious references proclaiming Trump is flooded with advice regarding Iranian policy, “but there is only one voice that matters, HIS voice.” Huckabee, also a Baptist minister, included, “I believe you will hear from heaven, and that voice is far more important than mine or ANYONE else’s.”