US Vice President Vance's office deletes post referring to 'Armenian genocide'

The White House on Tuesday deleted a social media post from Vice President JD Vance's account that commemorated massacres of Armenians as a "genocide," saying the message, which contradicts the stance of U.S.-allied Turkey, was posted in error.

Vance, who was on a two-day trip to Armenia, visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in the capital Yerevan during the first visit by a U.S. vice president to the South Caucasus republic.

Vance's official account on X described the visit as intended "to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide," and then deleted the post. A Vance aide who declined to be named said the message was posted in error by staff who were not part of the traveling delegation.

The social media post on Tuesday reflected Vance and his wife Usha's participation in a ceremonial laying of a wreath of carnations, chrysanthemums and roses at the memorial site, which honors the 1.5 million Armenians who lost their lives in the final years of the Turkish-led Ottoman Empire.

"This is an account managed by staff that primarily exists to share photos and videos of the vice president's activities," said a spokesperson for Vance, adding that his views were best described by his own remarks to reporters. In those remarks, the Republican politician did not use the word "genocide."

Reuters