Why does the term ‘Armenian Genocide’ matter after Vance deletes social media reference?

US Vice President JD Vance’s team posted and deleted a message on social media about the Republican’s visit to a memorial to Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century.

At issue was a post that used the term “Armenian genocide,” which the US government has not historically used to refer to what happened, with the notable exception of the Biden administration. The White House has blamed staff mistakes.

Here are some questions and answers about what that means, what Vance himself did and didn’t say, and why it matters.

What did Vance see in Armenia?

Vance visited a site called the Armenian Genocide Memorial, Armenia’s official national monument, commemorating its citizens who died under the brutal rule of the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

In an initial post on Vance’s official X account, he said he was visiting the memorial “to honor the victims of the Armenian Genocide.” It was replaced with a second post that showed what was written in the guest book as well as a clip of the Vice President and Usha Vance laying flowers at the memorial.

Vance, the first US vice president to visit Armenia, was in the country as part of the Trump administration’s monitoring of a US-brokered deal aimed at ending the decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where Vance traveled later on Tuesday.

Why does word choice matter?

“Genocide” is a loaded and legally distinct term that is used cautiously by national governments, international bodies and media organizations.

The United Nations defined genocide in 1948 as “certain acts enumerated in Article II, committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, racial, ethnic or religious group”.

There is no question that thousands of Armenian citizens, mostly Christians, died under the direction of the Union and Progress Committee, which led the Muslim government in Constantinople, now in the Turkish capital of Istanbul.

The US Holocaust Memorial Museum estimates that “at least 664,000 and possibly 1.2 million” died.

But the US government has historically not recognized what happened as a “genocide” for fear of alienating Turkey, a key US ally in the region. In 2021, then-President Joe Biden formally recognized the systematic killing and deportation of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by the forces of the Ottoman Empire as part of the “genocide”.

At that time, Turkey reacted angrily. The foreign minister said his country “will not let anyone teach us the lessons of our history”.

People of Armenian descent remember the victims with annual days of remembrance and remembrance celebrated around the world, including in the United States.

What did Vance say?

Vance was asked Tuesday specifically about his visit to the memorial and whether he was “acknowledging” the massacre.

He avoided using the word and said he went “to pay my respects” at the invitation of his host, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and his government.

“They said it’s a very important site for us, and obviously I’m the first (US) vice president to visit Armenia,” Vance said. “They asked us to visit the site. Obviously, it’s a very scary thing that happened a hundred years ago and is very important to them culturally.”

Vance added that it was “a mark of respect for the victims but also for the Armenian government, which has been a very important partner for us in the region.”

What did the White House say?

The White House blamed the original post on a staff member. This is the second time in less than a week that The West Wing has blamed an unnamed aide for the controversy in a social media post. Last Friday, it was a racist video that Trump shared on his Truth social account depicting former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama as jungle primates.

The White House initially defended the post before removing it after a cascade of criticism.

What happens now?

It is not yet clear if there will be any diplomatic fallout. Vance, for his part, seemed determined to focus on the original mission of his trip.

“I think the president struck a great peace deal. I think the administration is really sticking to it,” Vance said.

Still, there is the political question of whether Armenian Americans will respond, a rhetorical boomerang that provides yet another reminder of how reluctant America has been to use the word “genocide” to describe what Armenians remember as such. ___ White House Correspondent Michelle Price contributed reporting from Baku, Azerbaijan.