President Donald Trump stated that Senator Marco Rubio's campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) is intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. personnel, not himself. Rubio confirmed the U.S. effort to pressure the court, noting previous reform attempts had failed.
The U.S. campaign against the International Criminal Court highlights geopolitical tensions surrounding international justice and the prosecution of alleged war crimes, particularly concerning allies like Israel and the actions of U.S. personnel abroad.
U.S. President Donald Trump stated that Senator Marco Rubio's campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) is intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. personnel, not himself. Trump made the comment during a cabinet meeting at Camp David.
Rubio told the meeting that the U.S. has begun an effort to "bring them to heel," adding that previous U.S. attempts to push the court to reform had failed. The remarks come weeks after Rubio announced a U.S. effort to "dismantle" the ICC.
The ICC, established in 2002, prosecutes genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity when member states are unwilling or unable to do so. Neither the United States nor Israel are members of the court. However, the ICC statute also gives the court the power to prosecute atrocity crimes committed on the territory of member states by nationals of non-member states.
Trump's opposition toward the court dates back to his first term, resurfacing with a plan to penalize ICC officials after the court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.