Rubio Rejects ICC Authority, Warns of U.S. Pushback at Federalist Society Event

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday denounced the International Criminal Court, saying Washington will not bow to its jurisdiction. He made the remarks to the Federalist Society’s 2026 National Lawyers Convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, D.C., marking his first prepared speech after the Republican loss in the November 3 midterm elections. Rubio hinted that the United States will maintain a strong, unilateral foreign policy and dismissed claims that recent Trump‑era actions broke international law, including the seizure of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and strikes on vessels in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific accused of drug trafficking. He framed the ongoing U.S.–Israeli effort against Iran as a pre‑emptive move to stop Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb, citing what he described as the Iranian regime’s expansionist mindset. In contrast, he portrayed North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as non‑expansionist, noting three meetings between Kim and former President Donald Trump. Rubio warned that the ICC’s “radical judges” and global bureaucrats cannot dictate U.S. actions, recalling recent U.S. sanctions aimed at crippling the court’s operations that are set to take effect in April unless a deal is reached. He quoted the Roman general Pompey, suggesting the U.S. would respond with force if the court tried to enforce rulings against Americans. The ICC, founded in 2002 in The Hague, enjoys backing from all EU members and most NATO allies, but the United States and Turkey remain outside its membership. Washington has protested ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and an inquiry into U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, labeling the court’s attempts as overreach.

Context

The ICC prosecutes war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, but the United States has long rejected its authority, preferring to handle such matters through its own military‑justice system. This stance reflects a broader U.S. policy of resisting multilateral legal constraints on its security actions.