Latest reporting on Trump’s UN remarks about the ICC so the article stays accurate.# Trump Calls the ICC an “Evil Group” and a “Rogue Institution” at the UN
U.S. President Donald Trump used his speech to the 81st United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, to attack the International Criminal Court (ICC). He called it an “out of control institution,” a “rogue institution,” and “an evil group of people.”
Trump then urged every country that belongs to the court to leave it at once.
“I call on all nations that are members of the ICC to officially resign from this rogue institution immediately.”
He also said the United States would not let U.S. troops, or others, face what he called “show trials” by an “anti-American tribunal” that, in his view, has no jurisdiction over the United States.
Why this matters
The ICC, based in The Hague, prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The United States is not a member and never ratified the Rome Statute that created the court.
Trump’s remarks fit a wider U.S. campaign against the court. Reuters and other outlets have reported that Washington has already sanctioned ICC officials and is preparing broader measures. U.S. officials want the court to drop cases involving American personnel and Israeli leaders, including an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump did not name Israel in that part of the speech.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has separately called the ICC a threat to U.S. sovereignty and urged other countries to walk away from it.
What it could mean
Leaving the ICC is a political choice for each member state, not something the U.S. president can order. A mass walkout would weaken the court’s reach. Even without that, more U.S. sanctions could make it harder for the ICC to pay staff, protect witnesses, and run cases.
Supporters of the court say it is one of the few places that can try the gravest crimes when national courts will not. Critics, including the Trump administration, say it is biased, overreaches, and targets U.S. troops and allies.
Reuters flagged the comments for its World News podcast as a signal of how far Washington now wants to isolate the tribunal.
Source: Reuters, Times of Israel, The Independent