Trump urges ICC members to quit, calls court 'out of control' at UNGA

US President Donald Trump told the 81st UN General Assembly that all International Criminal Court members should quit immediately, describing the court as "out of control" and a "rogue institution." He said the United States equally opposes the ICC and urged nations to resign. Trump added that Washington would never allow US service members or anyone else to be investigated or face show-trials by an anti-American tribunal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the stance, vowing to dismantle the ICC "brick by brick" and calling it an intolerable threat to US sovereignty. The US has already imposed sanctions on ICC officials after the court issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close US ally. The United States is not a party to the Rome Statute and has never ratified it; Israel, Russia and China are also non-members. Nigeria, however, is a state party to the ICC and could feel pressure from this US campaign. The court prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity—matters relevant to ongoing investigations into Boko Haram atrocities and other violations in Nigeria. With the US pushing allies to abandon the ICC, Nigerians may wonder whether their government will uphold its commitment to international justice or reconsider membership amid diplomatic pressure. Will Nigeria resist the US call to quit the ICC and continue supporting the court’s work, or will it review its stance in light of Washington’s new offensive?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/09/22/trump-at-un-calls-for-all-countries-to-quit-icc/