In a press statement published on 09 October 2026 by Maro Rubio, the Secretary of State, the US Government stated that President Trump will 'never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans'.
AFP
The United States Government has published a statement imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a press statement published on 09 October 2026 by Maro Rubio, the Secretary of State, the US Government stated that President Trump will 'never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans'.
For decades, Republicans and Democrats alike rejected the idea that the International Criminal Court had the power to prosecute American citizens, military servicemembers, or political leaders. America never joined the court. We don’t need it. And we don’t want it. But globalist “experts” an ocean away don’t care what American citizens think. They want the ICC to do more, including the prosecution of American citizens. Service members defending their country, Border Patrol agents protecting our nation, and elected leaders ensuring our national security. They want more power, and they want it at our expense.
President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans. That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off its resources and crippling its ability to operate.
The statement further noted that the US government has been clear for over a year as to the basic gesture of good faith they expected from the court, and that the US government hopes that the ICC would change course or would otherwise be restrained by States Parties.
Our message is clear: the United States and its people are not subject to the jurisdiction of the ICC. Both parties agree on this, but only President Trump has the resolve to take the action needed to end this threat for good. Either the ICC will end its threats, or we will end the ICC. We expect our allies, many of whom are part of the ICC and who rely on American servicemembers for their defence, to rein in the court. If they do not, the United States will continue its campaign to dismantle the ICC, brick by brick, until Americans are threatened no longer.
This statement also comes hours after one of the former ICC judges, Navanethem 'Navi' Pillay, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote peace and international law, and her career ensuring that war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide are prosecuted.
