Exclusive: US threatens new ICC sanctions unless court pledges not to prosecute Trump

[demmiblue]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON, Dec 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's administration wants the International Criminal Court to amend its founding document to ensure it does not investigate the Republican president and his top officials, a Trump administration official said, threatening new U.S. sanctions on the court if it did not.

If the court does not act on this U.S. demand and two others - dropping investigations of Israeli leaders over the Gaza war and formally ending an earlier probe of U.S. troops over their actions in Afghanistan - Washington may penalize more ICC officials and could sanction the court itself, the official said.

Sanctioning the court would significantly escalate the U.S. campaign against the ICC, which has long been criticized by U.S. officials including both Republicans and Democrats, who say the court infringes on U.S. sovereignty.

The Trump administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Washington has communicated its demands to ICC members, some of whom are U.S. allies, and has also made them known to the court. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC in 2002 as a court of last resort, with the power to prosecute heads of state.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-threatens-new-icc-sanctions-unless-court-pledges-not-prosecute-trump-2025-12-10/

[UpInArms]

1. The operative clause

The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute that established the ICC in 2002 as a court of last resort, with the power to prosecute heads of state.

Fuck yourselves with a chainsaw.

[ToxMarz]

4. The time honored tradition of "Do as I say, not as I do"

[niyad]

2. Now, if the bastards currently destroying our system were NOT committing

crimes, they would not need to worry, would they? Exactly what "sanctions" against a body to which this country, disgustiingly, is not even a signatory?

[C_U_L8R]

3. Tell everyone you're committing crimes against humanity without....

Aw geez, will Justice ever rise from its deep slumber?

[Hotler]

5. The response from the ICC should be, go pound salt. nt

[Nigrum Cattus]

6. Really, truly, dense

If the U.S. isn't a "party" to the ICC how can it "demand"
any changes ? and it would no longer be a court if it
excludes certain criminals.

[IbogaProject]

7. Great idea

They should assume he is guilty and therefore accept this demand as a confession and give him the only alternative is to request a trial. Come on ICC step up he and his underlings have already admitted to murder.

[cstanleytech]

8. I'm sure a number of Germans argued it was a violation of sovereignty after WW2 as well but they still faced the music.

[Bayard]

9. Nothing screams guilty,

Like demanding absolution in advance. By all means--sanction this criminal. Not the U.S. though. We are hostages.