09.01.2026, 13:5909.01.2026, 14:11
Jannik Sauer / watson.de
Some will remember the irritating moment last June when NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte called Donald Trump “Daddy”. At the time, Rutte wanted to describe Trump’s stance in the war between Israel and Iran. The Dutchman received a lot of criticism for his statement: it was interpreted as pandering to Trump.
Two of the most powerful men in the world: US Secretary of State Rubio and Vice President Vance.Bild: keystone
But Trump seems to be enjoying the role of father: around six months later he called his subordinates Marco Rubio and JD Vance “children” in an interview with the New York Times. They say he even bought them shoes – Vice President Vance is said to have proudly presented them during the conversation.
The bizarre scenes have a history – and are not the only thing that will stick with you from the two-hour interview.
@nytimes In a wide-ranging interview with New York Times reporters, President Trump discussed Venezuela, exercising his power around the globe, his health and more. Trump said during the conversation that he would be the arbiter of any limits on his global powers, not international law or treaties, saying that as commander in chief he is constrained only by his “own morality.” It was the most blunt acknowledgment yet of his worldview. #trump #venezuela #greenland ♬ original sound – The New York Times
US President irritated: Donald Trump calls his team “children”
The conversation, which the New York Times documented on its website in ticker format, shows how the US President deals with his team. The journalists report that Trump called several advisors and employees with whom he came into contact during the interview “kids”. His deputy JD Vance (41) and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio (54) were also called that by Trump.
During the approximately two hours that the New York Times spent in the White House, Vance and Rubio briefly joined in stated that they each received four pairs of shoes as gifts from the US President. The newspaper writes:
Vance lifted his leg in the air to show the president the pair he was wearing.
A few weeks ago, Vance himself revealed that Trump had recommended new shoes to him and Rubio. The president is said to have ordered these himself without further ado. From his shoe catalog, says Vance. Trump is said to have said: “After all, the Vice President and Secretary of State have to look their best.”
Vice President JD Vance: “A week or so ago, I walked into the Oval Office, and Marco and I were sitting there talking with the president, and he said, ‘Stop!’ He looked at our shoes and said, ‘You guys have terrible shoes.’ So he went and got a shoe catalog… and gets his… pic.twitter.com/NWv7vtgijz
— RedWave Press (@RedWave_Press) December 16, 2025
Donald Trump: “I don’t need international law”
At another point in the conversation, the US President finally revealed a questionable understanding of foreign policy. “I don’t need international law,” he said. He only feels obliged to his own conscience.
The journalists asked Trump whether there were any restrictions on his global power. It was just one thing, Trump replied, then said: “My own sense of morality. My own mind. That’s the only thing that can stop me.”
Trump also said that, in his view, the United States must own Greenland because it is “psychologically necessary for success.” He bases his interest in Greenland on US national security and the island’s natural resources.
NYT: 6 more things that particularly stood out
On Friday, the “New York Times” also listed six other episodes in a ticker entry that the journalists particularly noticed during the conversation:
- Many faces: The many facets of Trump’s personality came to light when the interview “took an unpredictable turn.” Above all, he made a special effort to demonstrate “stamina and energy” – especially to the NYT, according to the journalists, a newspaper that has accused Trump of “inflammatory behavior” because of its reporting on his health and age.
- Anti-obesity drugs: Trump, whose body mass index classifies him as overweight, said he hasn’t taken any of the popular anti-obesity drugs, even though he “probably should.”
- Conflicts of interest: According to the NYT, Trump sees no reason for his family to restrict their international business activities after he received “no credit” for restricting such financial transactions during his first term in office. He also defended his support for the cryptocurrency industry, the newspaper said, in which his family has become a major player. “I got a lot of votes because I supported cryptocurrencies,” he said.
- Pardons: Trump has said he is not considering granting a clemency request from music mogul Sean Combs (“P.Diddy”) or pardoning several other “very prominent prisoners.”
- Somali immigrants: The US President announced in the conversation that his government was taking steps to revoke the citizenship of some naturalized Americans, with a particular focus on those of Somali origin: “I believe that many of the people who came from Somalia hate our country,” the newspaper quoted him as saying.
- Venezuela: He believes that the United States “could maintain control over the Venezuelan government and the country’s oil reserves for years to come”: “Only time will tell,” said Trump.
(lak)
This article was supplemented by watson.ch.
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