Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced sanctions on Friday against the International Criminal Court. The United States has never joined the ICC, nor has it ever submitted to what the Trump administration calls a "rogue court." Following Rubio's announcement, the ICC stated that they "strongly reject US sanctions against the institution."
The ICC has issued warrants against some 18 persons globally, including Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu for defending his nation against Palestinian terror attacks. They have also issued warrants against leaders of the Afghanistan Taliban, officials in the Philippines, additional Israelis, African leaders, a Hamas commander, Libyan leaders, and Russian military leaders. The ICC has no enforcement arm. In recent years, the ICC has entertained many complaints about Israel and seems somewhat fixated on the sole Democratic nation in the Middle East.
"For decades now, both Republicans and Democrats have rejected the idea that the International Criminal Court has any power to prosecute American citizens," Rubio began, "to prosecute military service members or political leaders, because America never joined the court.
"We don't need that court, and we don't want it. But now, globalist experts that are an ocean away-they don't care what you think. They want the International Criminal Court to do more, including the prosecution of American citizens and service members that are defending their country," he said.
"They want to prosecute border patrol agents that are protecting our nation's borders, and they want to prosecute our elected leaders that are ensuring our national security. They want more power, and they want it at the expense of our sovereignty as a nation. And President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans, and that's why today the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court.
"We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us. Because our message is clear, the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC. Both parties agree on this, but only President Trump has resolved to take the action needed to end this threat once and for all. Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC. And we expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American service members for their defense, to rein in this rogue court. If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC piece by piece until Americans are threatened no longer."
The ICC called the sanctions "unprecedented," noting that it "follows a series of designations against thirteen independent judges and prosecutors." Rubio previously sanctioned them as well. The ICC called on its 125 member states to support the court against the US.
"The Court will continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes," said ICC President Tomoko Akane.
Many Democrats, however, have said that they believe the United States should submit to the ICC. These include New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mamdani has said that the US should join the ICC and enforce all of their open warrants. He announced plans to arrest Netanyahu when the Israeli leader came to New York to speak to the UN but found that he did not have the jurisdiction to do so.
125 nations are members of the ICC, including 33 from Africa, 28 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 45 across Europe, and 19 throughout Asia and the Pacific. The US has never been tempted to join.
The ICC has issued warrants against some 18 persons globally, including Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu for defending his nation against Palestinian terror attacks. They have also issued warrants against leaders of the Afghanistan Taliban, officials in the Philippines, additional Israelis, African leaders, a Hamas commander, Libyan leaders, and Russian military leaders. The ICC has no enforcement arm. In recent years, the ICC has entertained many complaints about Israel and seems somewhat fixated on the sole Democratic nation in the Middle East.
"For decades now, both Republicans and Democrats have rejected the idea that the International Criminal Court has any power to prosecute American citizens," Rubio began, "to prosecute military service members or political leaders, because America never joined the court.
"We don't need that court, and we don't want it. But now, globalist experts that are an ocean away-they don't care what you think. They want the International Criminal Court to do more, including the prosecution of American citizens and service members that are defending their country," he said.
"They want to prosecute border patrol agents that are protecting our nation's borders, and they want to prosecute our elected leaders that are ensuring our national security. They want more power, and they want it at the expense of our sovereignty as a nation. And President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans, and that's why today the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court.
"We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling their ability to operate against us. Because our message is clear, the United States and the American people are not subject to the jurisdiction of this fake ICC. Both parties agree on this, but only President Trump has resolved to take the action needed to end this threat once and for all. Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC. And we expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and that rely on American service members for their defense, to rein in this rogue court. If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC piece by piece until Americans are threatened no longer."
The ICC called the sanctions "unprecedented," noting that it "follows a series of designations against thirteen independent judges and prosecutors." Rubio previously sanctioned them as well. The ICC called on its 125 member states to support the court against the US.
"The Court will continue to fully discharge its mandate, with independence and impartiality, acting only on the basis of the law and the evidence, for the sake of the countless victims of grave crimes," said ICC President Tomoko Akane.
Many Democrats, however, have said that they believe the United States should submit to the ICC. These include New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Mamdani has said that the US should join the ICC and enforce all of their open warrants. He announced plans to arrest Netanyahu when the Israeli leader came to New York to speak to the UN but found that he did not have the jurisdiction to do so.
125 nations are members of the ICC, including 33 from Africa, 28 from Latin America and the Caribbean, 45 across Europe, and 19 throughout Asia and the Pacific. The US has never been tempted to join.
