Trump War crimes probe gets real: UNDER OATH testimony as Trump aide ducks - The Beat - MS NOW

[Rhiannon12866]

Trump Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is under fire and facing allegations of having committed or overseen a war crime. MS NOW's Ari Melber reports on the latest developments. - Aired on 12/04/2025.

[ancianita]

1. I wonder why he as a lawyer doesn't distinguish between a war crime and murder, when we're not really at war with VZ.

The felon's doing a variation of what got Putin indicted under the Rome Statute of the ICC for international crimes against humanity and is under international warrant for his apprehension by Interpol. Putin attacked, unprovoked, and committed to a war of choice against Ukraine; Putin has kidnapped its children and targeted killings of its civilians.

The International Criminal Court can prosecute US individuals for these atrocities regardless of the victim's nationality, if their own state (the U.S. ) is unable or unwilling to do so. Venezuela can make its case before the ICC, and that court can find the US guilty and issue an international warrant (as they did with Putin) even if the US isn't a signatory to the ICC.

And why aren't we an ICC signatory? Has any president ever given us an answer to that? In my opinion it's because this country has held itself above international law. Under the felon the U.S. is becoming a state sponsor of terrorism.

Turns out that Venezuela itself has been under investigation by the ICC.
https://www.wola.org/analysis/combating-disinformation-venezuela-international-criminal-court/#:~:text=The%20ICC%20is%20a%20judicial,force%20on%20July%201%2C%202002.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. That's an awfully good question and we know that Russia is not an ICC signatory, either

Though the ICC has a warrant out on Putin (small wonder). From what I read, they can't touch Putin unless he leaves his country. Does Hegseth ever leave the country or is he sequestered at the Pentagon? And you're right, Hegseth is also guilty and vulnerable, but so far, this investigation is just beginning and he continues to deny what others in Congress have now seen.

[ancianita]

3. Well, it's gotten complicated now that VZ is also under investigation by the ICC due to allegations of the same

inside its country.

No, Hegseth isn't indicted because nothing's been presented to a court, so he is free to travel.
One thing he and the felon are doing is creating an internal mess inside the US military.