{
  "id": 18236,
  "title": "Why Trump is at war with the International Criminal Court",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/01/why-trump-is-at-war-with-the-international-criminal-court",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-01T11:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Vox",
    "slug": "vox",
    "url": "https://www.vox.com/podcasts/497381/international-criminal-court-trump-rubio-dismantle-explained"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The International Criminal Court (ICC) is currently facing a significant challenge as its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was recently voted out of his position by 82 member states. This comes after Khan was accused of sexual misconduct by a female colleague at the ICC, which he has denied. The vote comes at an unfortunate time for the ICC, as the United States is mounting an all-out attack on the court.\n\nFormer US Ambassador-at-large for Global Criminal Justice Beth Van Schaack spoke with Today, Explained co-host Noel King about the tumultuous relationship between the US and the ICC. She explained why the US is not a member of the ICC, citing concerns over jurisdiction over American personnel and the potential vulnerability of US interests. The US has a history of wariness about the organization and has a long history of not ratifying international treaties.\n\nThe relationship between the US and the ICC has had its peaks and valleys, with the Bush administration taking measures to protect US servicemembers in Afghanistan and the Obama administration launching a reset in the relationship. However, the Trump administration reversed course and imposed sanctions on senior ICC officials, including the prosecutor herself.\n\nThe Biden-Harris administration pulled down those sanctions and attempted to reset the relationship. During this time, there were instances where the court was working, particularly in situations like the war in Ukraine, where there was bipartisan support for the work of the ICC. However, with the current administration, there has been a reversal, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has vowed to dismantle the ICC.\n\nVan Schaack emphasized that no single country, including the United States, can dismantle the ICC. The court is an integral part of the rules-based order that has been built since World War II, and almost all of the US's friends and allies are members of the court. They are committed to its success, making it an unlikely target for dismantlement.",
  "summary": "The International Criminal Court is in the trenches right now. Last week, its chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was voted out of his position. In a first-of-its-kind vote, 82 member states decided that he engaged in misconduct and a serious breach of duty. The vote comes after he was accused of sexual misconduct by a female […]",
  "key_points": [
    "ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan voted out by 82 member states.",
    "US mounting all-out attack on the International Criminal Court.",
    "US concerns over jurisdiction and vulnerability of US interests."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}