During a government meeting at Camp David on Friday, Donald Trump humorously remarked that he is not “currently” being targeted by the International Criminal Court (ICC). This comment came as the United States is conducting a significant campaign against the court, encouraging member nations to withdraw from the institution based in The Hague, according to reports from AFP.
“In fact, nothing indicates that they are after me,” Trump stated, interrupting Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who reiterated the U.S. opposition to the ICC. He mentioned the case of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is subject to an arrest warrant issued by the court in 2024.
“Nonetheless, nothing indicates that I am among those, for now,” Trump added, eliciting laughter from the audience.
In mid-July, the United States launched a broad diplomatic offensive against the ICC, calling it a “nightmare” that purportedly “threatens” American citizens, discussing potential new sanctions and urging U.S. partners to withdraw from the court.
The relationship between Trump’s administration and the ICC has been highly strained, with several court officials already facing U.S. sanctions.
Founded in 2002, the ICC is tasked with prosecuting those responsible for the gravest crimes committed globally when countries lack the will or ability to do so themselves.
However, the American Secretary of State described the court as an “illegitimate international organization.” Neither Israel nor the United States has ratified the international treaty that established the ICC.
Rubio noted, “We tried to convince them to change their stance and listen to us. They have not wanted to. They are very arrogant.” He highlighted that five countries have withdrawn or are in the process of doing so, and “others should follow their example.” Recently, both Chad and Venezuela announced their withdrawal from the ICC.
