Michigan politics turned surreal last week when Republican Senator Jonathan Lindsey suggested that the state senate refer to Donald Trump as “Daddy.” Yes, you read that right — “Daddy.” But not everyone was here for the weird daddy-fication of the former president, least of all out gay Democrat Senator Jeremy Moss, who torched the idea with just one perfectly timed quip.
During a June 27 session, Lindsey cited a recent comment made at a NATO summit in which Dutch PM Mark Rutte referred to Trump as “Daddy” in the context of global diplomacy. “A lot of people in America have come to think of President Trump as a sort of father figure,” Lindsey said with a straight face, adding that future resolutions might include “a little bit of recognition of ‘Daddy Trump.’”
Cue a collective cringe.
But it didn’t take long for Senator Moss to cut through the nonsense with the precision of a seasoned queen reading a rookie on the main stage. “You don’t want to know what ‘Daddy’ means in my community,” he replied, drawing laughter across the chamber in Lansing. That one-liner didn’t just land — it served as a reminder that queer people have long reclaimed, remixed, and redefined language in ways politicians like Lindsey often don’t understand (or pretend not to).
In LGBTQ+ circles — especially among gay men — “Daddy” has nothing to do with fatherhood and everything to do with attraction to older, dominant, confident men. Think leather jackets, salt-and-pepper stubble, and Pedro Pascal energy. That’s not exactly the image Lindsey was going for, but it’s the one Moss served up on a silver platter.
Later, Moss shared a video of the moment on X (formerly Twitter), captioned with the ultimate mic drop: “Happy Pride Month!” No need for a filibuster when a five-word read will do.
For queer Americans, especially in a time when political rhetoric is increasingly being weaponized against LGBTQ+ communities, Moss’s response was more than just a joke — it was a necessary reality check. Attempts to inject odd, quasi-idolatrous language into government discourse not only miss the cultural mark but also distract from actual policy discussions. Moss’s sass wasn’t just entertaining; it was a reclaiming of space and language in a room where queer people are too often targets rather than speakers.
Meanwhile, Trump himself reacted exactly how you’d expect. Speaking to reporters, he gushed about the nickname like a reality TV contestant desperate for screen time: “He likes me, I think he likes me… Daddy, you’re my daddy,” he said.
While some lawmakers might still be confused about what “Daddy” means, the LGBTQ+ community isn’t. And thanks to Senator Moss, neither is the Michigan Senate.