Trump’s ICC Challenge: A Lone Stand Against International Justice

Trump’s ICC Challenge: A Lone Stand Against International Justice

By Paul V. Young – TheNATIONWEEK.com | September 28, 2026

BRISBANE, Australia – U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for nations to abandon the International Criminal Court (ICC), labeling it “evil” and a “rogue institution,” has largely gone unheeded. Despite Washington’s escalating campaign, only Nauru, a small Pacific island nation, has publicly aligned with Trump during the United Nations General Assembly.

Trump’s impassioned plea on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, follows an aggressive U.S. push against the Hague-based court. Washington contends that the ICC oversteps its mandate by asserting jurisdiction over citizens from non-ratifying nations of its founding treaty, the Rome Statute, including the United States and Israel.

While a handful of countries have signaled intentions to withdraw from the ICC, some governments, particularly in Europe, staunchly defend the Netherlands-based institution as a vital pillar of international justice. The Rome Statute boasts 125 signatory nations.

Netherlands Prime Minister Rob Jetten, addressing the General Assembly, criticized attacks on the court, implicitly referencing the U.S. “How can you possibly be opposed to prosecuting the very worst crimes?” he queried to widespread applause. “There can be only one response: ‘Hands off the ICC, and all those other institutions that protect the international legal order.'”

The U.S. has already imposed financial sanctions and visa bans on ICC staff, with further sanctions reportedly under preparation that could cripple the court’s operations.

“Dismantle the ICC”

In July, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio initiated a diplomatic drive to “dismantle the ICC — brick by brick, if necessary.” Rubio claimed the court jeopardized American service members and those involved in Trump’s migrant deportations and strikes against alleged drug trafficking.

Trump has publicly stated that the campaign aims to protect Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against whom the ICC issued arrest warrants in 2024, along with his then-defense minister and a Hamas military commander concerning the Gaza conflict.

Since Rubio’s announcement, Venezuela and Chad have declared plans to withdraw. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger exited the previous year, denouncing the court as an instrument of “neocolonial repression.”

Nauru President David Adeang, in his U.N. General Assembly speech, announced his country’s formal withdrawal from the Rome Statute due to the ICC’s “increasing irrelevance.” U.S. Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombre, meeting with Nauru’s deputy foreign minister, lauded the island nation for “standing up for their sovereignty against the ICC’s illegitimate overreach.”

Defending the Court

The European Union has rallied in support of the ICC, discussing potential blocking statutes in response to prospective U.S. sanctions.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas affirmed the bloc’s options to protect the court. “We have the tools in our toolbox when it gets really serious, how to defend the ICC, and here (at the U.N.) we are rallying countries behind supporting the ICC functioning and the accountability part because it’s not only a European issue; it’s much broader than that,” she stated.

ICC President Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national already under U.S. sanctions, has garnered support from her government. Japan called the proposed sanctions “very unfortunate” and dispatched an official to The Hague to discuss support. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reaffirmed Japan’s commitment to the ICC in her U.N. address, emphasizing its dedication to the rule of law since World War II.

Brian Finucane, a senior adviser at the International Crisis Group, observes that widespread international commitment to the ICC’s mission of accountability limits the impact of Washington’s campaign. He noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin also targeted the ICC after an arrest warrant was issued against him. “The Trump administration has managed to align itself with Putin in terms of imposing sanctions on ICC personnel, and of course, Putin would also benefit from the destruction of the court,” Finucane commented.