Trump signs executive order allowing punishments for countries that wrongfully detain Americans

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that creates a "state sponsor of wrongful detention" designation for countries that illegally detain Americans.

The order comes the same day that Trump added "Department of War" as a secondary title for the Department of Defense in an attempt to rebrand the United States military. 

The state sponsor order gives Secretary of State Marco Rubio the authority to punish countries he deems a sponsor of "wrongful detention." 

Punishments include sanctioning countries and blocking nationals from those countries from entering the United States. 

"The United States must strengthen efforts to protect U.S. nationals from wrongful detention abroad," Trump wrote in the order. "The United States Government is committed to using every tool available to curb this coercive tactic used by foreign adversaries and must hold such adversaries to account. 

"No American should fear being taken as a political pawn by rogue states," the order continued. "Wrongful detentions are an affront to the rule of law and aim to undermine our leadership on the world stage. The United States will not tolerate these attacks on our sovereignty and U.S. nationals."

The order also gives Rubio the authority to terminate the designation if countries return the detained Americans, make changes to policies regarding wrongful detention and prove they won't illegally detain Americans again.

"[The president's] new Executive Order delivers unprecedented action to protect Americans from wrongful detention abroad," Rubio said in a post on X. "Designating State Sponsors of Wrongful Detention sends a clear message: If you attempt to use an American as a bargaining chip, you will face severe consequences."

Trump has secured the release of 72 detained Americans in his second term so far, including Marc Fogel and Paul Whelan who were wrongfully detained in Russia.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.