Trump says no sign ICC is after him as US shields Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump said on Friday there is "no information" the International Criminal Court is seeking to investigate him, insisting the administration's aggressive campaign against the tribunal is designed to protect Israeli leaders rather than shield himself from prosecution. "There's no information that they're after me," Trump said during the first televised Cabinet meeting held at Camp David, though he added that such a scenario could theoretically occur.

Protection of Netanyahu

Trump explicitly stated that Secretary of State Marco Rubio's diplomatic efforts were primarily intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Gaza conflict, not to protect the US president. "It could happen, but just so you know. He (Rubio) is not trying to defend me. He's trying to defend Bibi (Netanyahu) and various other people," Trump said, adding that "there are many people that shouldn't be looked at that way." The president maintained that "there is no indication that I'm one of them at this moment."

Rubio told the assembled Cabinet that five nations had formally announced plans to quit the court since Washington launched its diplomatic offensive earlier this month, characterizing the withdrawals as a growing rebuke to an institution that threatens American sovereignty. Chad joined Venezuela, Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger this week in initiating withdrawal procedures from the Rome Statute, marking an accelerating exodus from the tribunal that has alarmed human rights observers but cheered the White House.

'Illegitimate' institution

The secretary of state sharply criticized the ICC's assertion of universal jurisdiction, arguing that the court fundamentally lacks legitimacy when it claims authority over citizens of nations that never ratified the founding treaty. "The International Criminal Court is an illegitimate international organization," Rubio said, warning that "American service members, political leaders and others could find themselves under indictment by this International Criminal Court" if the precedent of prosecuting non-members stands. "They've made themselves illegitimate because they claim that even if you're not a member of that court, they can come after you," he added.

The Trump administration has repeatedly clashed with the ICC since the court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other Israeli officials in late 2024 over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Gaza war. Washington is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the tribunal in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. Former ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan, who sought the warrants against the Israeli premier, was dismissed earlier this year following misconduct allegations unrelated to the Israel-Palestine dossier.