Rubio Pledges to Challenge and Undermine International Criminal Court

WHO:

CNN - Marco Rubio is the US Secretary of State.

CNN - The Trump administration is involved in the campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

CNN - A State Department official provided details about the campaign.

WHAT:

CNN - Rubio vowed to “dismantle” the International Criminal Court.

CNN - The Trump administration has imposed sanctions against ICC officials.

CNN - The campaign against the ICC is described as a “whole-of-government campaign.”

CNN - Rubio stated, “Using all the tools at our government’s disposal, working beside every ally with whom we can make common cause, we will dismantle the ICC—brick by brick, if necessary.”

CNN - The campaign includes possible travel bans, visa revocations, and increased sanctions.

WHERE:

CNN - The campaign is aimed at countries around the world.

WHEN:

CNN - Rubio's opinion piece was published on a Monday.

WHY:

CNN - Rubio accused the ICC of “waging a war against our country, not with bullets or missiles, but with the force of so-called international law.”

CNN - The administration's actions are motivated by the ICC's attempts to investigate alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan.

CNN - The campaign seeks to pressure countries to reject the ICC’s authority and threatens potential cuts to US assistance for those who do not comply.

HOW:

CNN - The campaign involves calls from top officials, including the secretary and US ambassadors, to persuade countries to withdraw from the ICC and cut off financial support to the court.

CNN - The administration is calling on nations that are not parties to the court to leverage their diplomatic networks to take similar actions.

(UPDATED July 13, 2026 22:18 UTC)

Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, has vowed to dismantle the International Criminal Court, describing the effort as a “whole-of-government campaign” aimed at countries around the world. The Trump administration has already imposed sanctions against ICC officials and is considering measures like travel bans and visa revocations to pressure nations to reject the court's authority. Rubio accused the ICC of waging a war against the US through international law, motivated by the court's investigations into alleged war crimes committed by US forces in Afghanistan.