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Ongoing story / International Criminal Court

The Trump administration's campaign against the International Criminal Court

Overview · reviewed November 5, 2026

The Trump administration has campaigned against the , the global tribunal in The Hague, since February 2025, when President Donald Trump sanctioned it over its investigations of the United States and Israel.[1] In 2026 it set out to dismantle the court. It sanctioned the court's president and a senior prosecutor and prepared sanctions against the court itself.[2][3][4] Trump called on all of the court's members to resign,[5] and on October 9 Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced full blocking sanctions against the court.[6]

Read the timeline

Follow this story to see new developments when you return.

In 2026 it set out to dismantle the court. It sanctioned the court's president and a senior prosecutor and prepared sanctions against the court itself.[2][3][4] Trump called on all of the court's members to resign,[5] and on October 9 Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced full blocking sanctions against the court.[6]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-01-06 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 221 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 2 right)Week of 2025-01-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-01-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-01-27 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 223 tracked outlets (1 left, 4 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-02-03 (UTC): 17%, 32 of 190 tracked outlets (7 left, 15 center, 10 right)Week of 2025-02-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-02 (UTC): 10%, 19 of 189 tracked outlets (5 left, 7 center, 7 right)Week of 2025-06-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-18 (UTC): 3%, 5 of 191 tracked outlets (0 left, 3 center, 2 right)Week of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): 8%, 45 of 559 tracked outlets (7 left, 27 center, 11 right)Week of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 561 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-08-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-10 (UTC): 3%, 19 of 545 tracked outlets (5 left, 10 center, 4 right)Week of 2026-08-17 (UTC): 5%, 23 of 464 tracked outlets (2 left, 14 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 1%, 4 of 480 tracked outlets (0 left, 1 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 2%, 11 of 479 tracked outlets (2 left, 3 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 476 tracked outlets (1 left, 2 center, 0 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): 8%, 36 of 479 tracked outlets (10 left, 15 center, 11 right)Week of 2026-10-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): 1%, 6 of 471 tracked outlets (1 left, 3 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-11-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outlets, so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 7 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (14 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 2, 20261326 of 4711%
Oct 5, 202610151136 of 4798%
Sep 28, 20261203 of 4761%
Sep 21, 202623611 of 4792%
Sep 14, 20260134 of 4801%
Aug 17, 2026214723 of 4645%
Aug 10, 2026510419 of 5453%
Jul 27, 20261124 of 5611%
Jul 13, 20267271145 of 5598%
Aug 18, 20250325 of 1913%
Jun 2, 202557719 of 18910%
Feb 3, 20257151032 of 19017%
Jan 27, 20251416 of 2233%
Jan 6, 20251326 of 2213%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 2, 2026 · first reported · Headline from The Hill

    ICC president accuses Trump administration of trying to obstruct international justice

Background

In February 2025, Trump ordered asset freezes and travel bans against ICC officials, employees and their families.[1] The court called on its member states to stand up against the sanctions, and dozens of countries, including Canada and Germany, said they would "erode the international rule of law."[7] In June, the administration sanctioned four of the court's judges over its investigation of Israel,[8] and in August it sanctioned more of its judges and prosecutors.[9]

Read the full background (4 more paragraphs)

Congress had moved first. In January 2025, the House passed a bill to sanction ICC officials in response to the court's arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,[10] and Senate Democrats blocked it later that month.[11]

The campaign escalated in 2026. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in July a diplomatic campaign to dismantle the court, accusing it of "waging a war against our country" with "the force of so-called international law."[12][2] Chad announced that it would withdraw from the court, drawing praise from the United States. It was the fifth country to withdraw recently.[13] In August, the administration sanctioned the court's president, Tomoko Akane of Japan, and a senior prosecutor, Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal. The court called it a "flagrant attack" on its independence,[3] and Akane warned of the "demise of international rule of law."[14]

Sanctions against the whole court came next. In September, sources said the administration was preparing them, the first that would target the court as an institution,[4] and the Netherlands, the court's host, braced for their effects.[15] In his speech to the UN General Assembly, Trump urged all members to resign "immediately" and called the court an "out of control institution."[5] Germany's foreign minister visited the court to pledge full support.[16] On October 9, Rubio announced full blocking sanctions against the court itself, over what the administration called its unjust pursuit of war crimes cases against Israel and Americans.[6]

The sanctions were also challenged in US courts. Two US-based human rights groups sued, saying the sanctions tied to the court's investigations of Israel's war in Gaza had illegally impeded their work,[17] and Human Rights Watch and other groups filed another suit in August.[18] In November, the court's president accused the administration of trying to obstruct international justice in a remote address to the United Nations.[19]

Supporting stories (19)
  1. Trump sanctions ICC for 'illegitimate' Israel, US probes
  2. Rubio vows to ‘dismantle’ International Criminal Court
  3. US sanctions ICC president and senior prosecutor amid campaign to dismantle the international court
  4. Trump administration prepares sanctions against International Criminal Court, sources say
  5. Trump calls on all ICC members to resign immediately
  6. US hits ICC with sweeping sanctions to disrupt tribunal
  7. ICC Condemns Sanctions by Trump Administration
  8. U.S. hits International Criminal Court judges with sanctions over investigation into Israel
  9. US Sanctions More ICC Judges, Prosecutors for Probes into Alleged American, Israeli War Crimes
  10. House passes International Criminal Court sanctions bill in response to Netanyahu warrant
  11. Senate Democrats block International Criminal Court sanctions bill in response to Netanyahu warrant
  12. Secretary of State Marco Rubio vows to 'dismantle' International Criminal Court
  13. Chad announces intent to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, drawing praise from the US
  14. ICC president decries being sanctioned by US: ‘Demise of international rule of law’
  15. The Netherlands is bracing for potentially devastating US sanctions against the ICC
  16. Germany’s foreign minister visits the ICC, pledging full support despite Trump’s sanctions
  17. Human rights groups sue over Trump administration's sanctions on ICC for investigations into Israel
  18. Groups sue the Trump administration over its targeting of the International Criminal Court
  19. ICC president hits back at Trump administration penalties in remote UN address

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 20 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. ICC president hits back at Trump administration penalties in remote UN addressHeadline from KAAL Rochester · 6 outlets

October 2026

  1. US hits ICC with sweeping sanctions to disrupt tribunalHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 41 outlets

September 2026

  1. Germany’s foreign minister visits the ICC, pledging full support despite Trump’s sanctionsHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 3 outlets
  2. Trump calls on all ICC members to resign immediatelyHeadline from Al-Monitor · 4 outlets
  3. The Netherlands is bracing for potentially devastating US sanctions against the ICCHeadline from KOB 4 · 6 outlets
  4. Trump administration prepares sanctions against International Criminal Court, sources sayHeadline from Union Leader · 7 outlets

August 2026

  1. ICC president decries being sanctioned by US: ‘Demise of international rule of law’Headline from Washington Examiner · 1 outlet
  2. US sanctions ICC president and senior prosecutor amid campaign to dismantle the international courtHeadline from KESQ Palm Springs · 28 outlets
  3. Groups sue the Trump administration over its targeting of the International Criminal CourtHeadline from Daily Journal · 21 outlets

July 2026

  1. Chad announces intent to withdraw from the International Criminal Court, drawing praise from the USHeadline from Jonesboro Sun · 8 outlets
  2. Human rights groups sue over Trump administration's sanctions on ICC for investigations into IsraelHeadline from Winchester Star · 26 outlets
  3. Rubio vows to ‘dismantle’ International Criminal CourtHeadline from KEZI Eugene · 14 outlets
  4. Secretary of State Marco Rubio vows to 'dismantle' International Criminal CourtHeadline from 13WMAZ Macon · 21 outlets

August 2025

  1. US Sanctions More ICC Judges, Prosecutors for Probes into Alleged American, Israeli War CrimesHeadline from Military.com · 5 outlets

June 2025

  1. U.S. hits International Criminal Court judges with sanctions over investigation into IsraelHeadline from Los Angeles Times · 21 outlets

February 2025

  1. ICC Condemns Sanctions by Trump AdministrationHeadline from Time · 6 outlets
  2. Trump sanctions ICC for 'illegitimate' Israel, US probesHeadline from Wyoming Tribune Eagle · 29 outlets
  3. Trump signs an executive order sanctioning the International Criminal CourtHeadline from NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth · 4 outlets

January 2025

  1. Senate Democrats block International Criminal Court sanctions bill in response to Netanyahu warrantHeadline from CNN · 6 outlets
  2. House passes International Criminal Court sanctions bill in response to Netanyahu warrantHeadline from CNN · 7 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →