Rubio calls ICC a ‘fake court,’ warns against enforcing rulings on Americans

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday denounced the International Criminal Court as a “fake court” that claims authority over countries that never accepted its jurisdiction, warning against any attempt to enforce its rulings against Americans.

Speaking at the Federalist Society’s National Lawyers Convention in Washington, Rubio defended U.S. President Donald Trump’s sanctions against the ICC, calling it an unelected international tribunal that seeks to override national laws and constitutions. “They think they have the right to rule over everyone, but they are accountable to no one,” he said, accusing the court of seeking to investigate, prosecute and imprison Americans under laws the United States never accepted.

“If they’re foolish enough to try to enforce their paper decrees on Americans, our answer will probably be the same as the Roman general, Pompey,” Rubio warned, quoting the general as saying, “Stop quoting laws to men with swords.”