The administration of United States President Donald Trump has intensified its campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC), with the US State Department pledging a "whole-of-government response to systematically disable" the tribunal's operations.

This campaign was announced on Monday, July 13th, 2026, through a State Department news release, a video statement by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

The Trump administration has previously imposed sanctions on ICC officials and rights groups providing evidence to the court, particularly targeting investigations involving the US and its allies, including Israel. Initial sanctions were issued in 2020 in response to the ICC's Afghanistan investigation.

International law experts have noted that the administration's actions, such as during the US-Israel conflict with Iran, strikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the Caribbean, and the abduction of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, could themselves be subject to ICC investigations.

Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at the Washington, DC-based DAWN rights organisation, criticized the administration's approach, stating it "sends the message that the powerful are above the law."

Sources