Pres. Donald Trump Sides With Turkey’s Denial of the Armenian Genocide — By Harut Sassounian
Shame on Pres. Donald Trump for doubling down on his repeated refusals to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide. This is what happens when a man with no moral values or principles — a convicted felon (34 counts), in addition to being found liable for sexual assault — is elected President of the United States.
Trump’s denials are contrary to the multiple acknowledgments of the Armenian Genocide by the highest levels of the U.S. government:
— On May 28, 1951, the United States Government submitted an official document to the International Court of Justice (World Court) recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
— Pres. Ronald Reagan mentioned the Armenian Genocide in his Presidential Proclamation of April 22, 1981.
— The U.S. House of Representatives adopted, by overwhelming majorities, three resolutions in 1975, 1984, and 2019 acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
— The U.S. Senate acknowledged the Armenian Genocide unanimously (100-0) in 2019, despite Pres. Trump’s failed efforts to block it.
— Pres. Joe Biden issued statements on April 24 of 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 acknowledging the Armenian Genocide.
— All 50 U.S. states have acknowledged the Armenian Genocide.
— More than 30 countries, including over a dozen NATO members, have acknowledged the Armenian Genocide.
Despite all of these acknowledgments, Pres. Trump continues to cave in to Erdogan’s denial of the Armenian Genocide by refusing to use the term Armenian Genocide for the sixth time — during the four years of his first term in office and the two years of his second term. We should also not forget Vice President JD Vance’s shameful deletion of the term Armenian Genocide from his post on X, shortly after visiting the Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan on February 10, 2026.
Since Pres. Trump refuses to utter the word Genocide, fearing to offend his buddy Erdogan, how can Armenians trust him to defend Armenia’s security and sovereignty? Trump and Vance should have been universally condemned for their reprehensible behavior. Yet, we have not heard a single criticism from their Armenian supporters. Those who vote for JD Vance for President in 2028 will become complicit in his denial of the Armenian Genocide.
The Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA) and the Armenian Assembly issued statements criticizing Pres. Trump’s continued denial of the Armenian Genocide. The ANCA condemned “President Trump’s complicity in covering up Turkey’s crimes.” The Armenian Assembly expressed “deep concern that the failure to clearly affirm the Armenian Genocide is contributing to a climate of impunity at the very moment Armenian Christian heritage in Artsakh is under renewed assault.”
In contrast to Pres. Trump, dozens of world leaders and major organizations issued strong and unequivocal statements about the Armenian Genocide on April 24, 2026. Among them were: Pres. Vladimir Putin of Russia, President of Greece Konstantinos Tasoulas, President of Lebanon Joseph Aoun, the Parliament of Sweden, the Foreign Ministry of Cyprus, Foreign Minister of Uruguay Mario Lubetkin, the World Council of Churches, Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney, President of France Emmanuel Macron, Vice President of the German Bundestag Bodo Ramelow, California Governor Gavin Newsom, the California State legislature, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Pres. Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey also issued a statement on April 24, which he has done annually since 2014. As expected, he distorted the historical facts, stating that “all Ottoman subjects suffered deeply,” thus equating the victims of the Armenian Genocide with Turkish soldiers who died during World War I. While Erdogan was shedding crocodile tears, Istanbul authorities once again banned commemorations of the Armenian Genocide on April 24.
Even more disappointing was the statement issued by the Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan on April 24. After repeatedly insulting the Armenian nation by raising unnecessary questions about the veracity of the Genocide, he continues to distort the historical facts.
In a lengthy statement Pashinyan issued on April 24, 2026, rather blaming the Young Turks as the perpetrators, he described the “Meds Yeghern” as “a consequence of the practice of drawing the Armenian people into international intrigues.” Pashinyan then abused the occasion of the Genocide anniversary to promote his so-called peace agenda. In a troubling assertion, he claimed that Armenia is underpopulated, seemingly preparing the ground for the possible settlement of 300,000 Azeris in Armenia, a demand previously raised by Aliyev.
At Pashinyan’s orders, Armenia’s public TV (funded by taxpayers) did not broadcast the laying of the wreath by Catholicos Karekin II at the Genocide Memorial on April 24. Carrying out Pashinyan’s vendetta against the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Armenian Genocide Museum removed website posts on Catholicos Karekin II’s visit to the Memorial.
To the delight of Azerbaijan and Turkey, Pashinyan condemned the burning of the Turkish flag by participants in a torchlight procession in Yerevan on the evening of April 23. Thus, once again Pashinyan, Aliyev, and Erdogan find themselves aligned in positions hostile to Armenian national interests.
Pashinyan then further offended the Armenian nation by organizing a large public concert and festive celebration on April 25, the day after the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.
How can one blame foreign leaders for their disputable positions on the Armenian Genocide when Armenia’s own Prime Minister takes such offensive actions and makes questionable statements?
