U.S. Vice President Pays Tribute to the Victims of the Armenian Genocide, Then Deletes X Post

YEREVAN — U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance paid tribute to the victims of the Armenian Genocide during a visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex in Armenia, marking a historic moment in U.S.–Armenia relations.

Vance, accompanied by his wife Usha Vance, laid flowers at the memorial eternal flame and observed a moment of silence in honor of the 1.5 million Armenians who perished in the Ottoman Empire beginning in 1915. He later described the events as “horrific” and acknowledged their deep cultural and historical significance to the Armenian people.

In remarks to reporters, the Vice President emphasized that the visit was made at the request of Armenian authorities and framed it as a gesture of respect toward both the victims and Armenia as an important regional partner of the United States.

“I am the first Vice President ever to visit Armenia, and they asked us to visit this site,” he said. “It is clear that this is something very horrific that took place more than 100 years ago, and it is something that is culturally very, very important to them. For that reason, as a sign of respect both to the victims and to the Armenian government—which is a very important partner for us in the region—and out of respect for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, I wanted to go and visit the memorial to pay my respects.”

Shortly after the visit, Vance shared a post on X referencing his tribute at the memorial. However, the post was later deleted, prompting questions and online speculation. No official explanation was immediately provided regarding the removal.

The tribute itself drew significant attention, as Vance became the first sitting U.S. Vice President to visit Armenia and pay respects at the Genocide Memorial. The visit took place amid heightened diplomatic engagement between Washington and Yerevan, including expanded cooperation in defense, technology, and economic sectors.

Despite the deleted social media post, the visit underscored the continued recognition by U.S. leaders of the historical tragedy and its enduring importance to Armenians worldwide.