Trump says Rubio’s anti-ICC campaign intended to shield Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump has said that secretary of state Marco Rubio's campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC) was intended to defend Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "He's trying to defend Bibi and various other people," Trump said during a cabinet meeting at Camp David. Rubio told the meeting that "we've now begun an effort to really try to bring them to heel," adding that previous US attempts to push the court to reform had failed. The remarks come weeks after Rubio announced a US effort to "dismantle" the ICC. The ICC, established in 2002 to prosecute genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, says it can exercise jurisdiction where member states are unwilling or unable to prosecute such crimes. Neither the United States nor Israel is a member of the court. .@SecRubio: "The International Criminal Court is an illegitimate international organization that claims even if you are not a member of that court, that they can come after you." pic.twitter.com/XbvuGmweQx — Department of State (@StateDept) July 31, 2026