Marco Rubio
Role at the time: United States secretary of state
Defended or excused
Statement summary
Rubio defended institutional sanctions as a means of preventing ICC prosecutions of Americans.
“President Trump will never allow the International Criminal Court to prosecute Americans. That is why, today, the United States is sanctioning the International Criminal Court. We will ban transactions with this rogue court, cutting off their resources and crippling its ability to operate.”
Read the official statement (opens in a new tab)Rubio announces sanctions against the ICC as an institutionComplete press statement; sovereignty argument and diplomatic solution paragraphs.
Rubio defends institutional sanctions and asks member states to address U.S. concerns. His description of the Court's jurisdiction is the administration's position.
Why we used this label
The case examines sanctions against the ICC itself. Rubio expressly justifies that action as protection of Americans and U.S. sovereignty.