VP Vance's deleted Armenian Genocide tweet causing concern in Armenian Diaspora
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Vice President JD Vance became the first sitting American Vice President to visit Armenia, but the trip is being remembered for a social media mishap.
The Vice President’s X account posted and then deleted a message referring to the Armenian Genocide after visiting the genocide monument.
“Seems to be a lot of these staffers making mistakes,” Fresno State Professor of Armenian Studies Barlow Der Mugrdechian said.
The VP ended his first visit to Armenia on Feb. 11. He met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, signed a nuclear deal, and visited the Armenian Genocide monument.
“When we talk to the Armenians, they say this was a very important site for us,” Vice President JD Vance said.
The Armenian Genocide killed 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923.
Professor Der Mugrdechian said the VP’s post was quickly deleted.
“A few minutes later, it was removed which can be read as that somebody didn’t like the fact that he had gone to the genocide monument,” Der Mugrdechian said.
Vance’s press secretary replaced the post without the term “Armenian Genocide.” The mishap was blamed on a staffing error just a week after the Trump Administration posted and deleted a racist meme of Barack and Michelle Obama.
“To have a staff member to come back and delete the word genocide and say this is an error, that’s not acceptable,” Armenian Heritage Museum Director Varoujan Der Simonian said.
Der Simonian said this reminds him of 2006 when US Ambassador to Armenia John Evans was fired for using the term “Armenian Genocide”. Fresno State Political Science Professor Tom Holyoke said he doesn’t expect ramifications from Vance’s visit.
“The Armenian government, I’m not entirely sure that they’re going to want to make a big deal out of this. They’re really trying to improve relationships with the Trump Administration. And they know that the Trump Administration has a pretty good relationship with Turkey,” Professor Holyoke said.
The deleted tweet caught Congressman Jim Costa’s attention, saying, “This administration regularly tries to rewrite history, but we won’t allow it. Our Armenian community deserves better.”
But the President of the Armenian National Committee of America said there are bigger issues that need resolving.
“He didn’t address the key issues, which are Azerbaijan holding Armenian hostages, not letting refugees return to their homes, Azerbaijan occupying Armenian land, and Azerbaijan desecrating holy Armenian Christian sites,” ANCA President Aram Hamparian said.