US President Donald Trump said his administration’s campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) is meant to shield Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials from prosecution, while insisting he himself is not currently a target of the court’s inquiries.
Trump made the remarks during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on Friday (July 31), after Secretary of State Marco Rubio briefed ministers on Washington’s efforts to persuade other nations to exit the Hague-based tribunal. Rubio told the gathering that five countries had announced plans to withdraw from the ICC since the US launched its campaign against the court earlier this month.
‘He’s Trying to Defend Bibi’
Interrupting Rubio’s briefing, Trump waved off any suggestion that the campaign was designed to protect him personally, drawing laughter from cabinet members present. “There’s no information that they’re after me,” he said.
“It could happen, but just so you know… he (Rubio) is not trying to defend me. He’s trying to defend Bibi and various other people,” Trump said, invoking Netanyahu’s widely used nickname. “But there are many people that shouldn’t be looked at that way. But there is no indication that I’m one of them at this moment,” he added.
Why Does the US Care So Much About Bibi?
Rubio, for his part, framed the ICC campaign as extending well beyond Netanyahu’s case. He argued that American military personnel could themselves become targets of future ICC proceedings, warning that US service members could face prosecution years after carrying out military operations turning the administration’s opposition to the court into what he described as a broader national security concern.
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Why the US Is Targeting the ICC
Established in 2002 and based in The Hague, the ICC investigates allegations of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, stepping in when national authorities are unable or unwilling to prosecute such offences themselves.
The United States has never been a member of the court, but the ICC’s founding statute allows it to prosecute individuals from non-member states if the alleged crimes were committed on the territory of a member nation.
The Trump administration has ramped up its criticism of the court sharply since Trump returned to office, with opposition intensifying after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict. Earlier this month, Rubio accused the tribunal of overreach, pointing to calls from activist groups for investigations into US personnel over migrant deportations and military strikes targeting suspected drug traffickers at sea.
Campaign to Weaken the Court
As part of its strategy, the administration has said it will press other countries to leave the ICC while imposing travel restrictions and financial sanctions on court officials and affiliated organisations.
Those measures are already facing legal pushback, with ICC judges and US advocacy groups arguing in court that the sanctions violate constitutional free-speech protections.
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