Former US President Donald Trump refrained from using the word “genocide” to describe the mass killings of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire during World War I — a marked shift from his predecessor Joe Biden’s firm recognition of the atrocities.
In a statement issued Thursday on the anniversary of the tragedy, Trump said Americans “honour the memories of those wonderful souls who suffered in one of the worst disasters of the 20th century,” without explicitly acknowledging it as genocide.
Biden had made history in 2021 by formally recognizing the killings as genocide — a term long resisted by Turkey. He reaffirmed that stance throughout his presidency and directly informed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of his intention to use the term, reflecting his close ties with the Armenian American community.
Turkey has consistently denied that the mass killings amounted to genocide, arguing the deaths occurred amid broader civil unrest and warfare, and citing its own casualties during the period. Erdogan’s relationship with Trump has been seen as warmer compared to Biden’s more critical tone.
Armenian American leaders were quick to condemn Trump’s language. Aram Hamparian, executive director of the Armenian National Committee of America, called the omission a “disgraceful surrender to Turkish threats,” accusing Trump of deliberately retreating from the truth and signaling tolerance for anti-Armenian violence.
He added, “It mirrors his first administration’s shameful record of silence and complicity.”
When asked about the decision, National Security Council spokesman James Hewitt said, “These horrific events were one of the worst atrocities of the 20th century,” and noted the US acknowledges the deportation, massacre, or death marches of approximately 1.5 million Armenians during the collapse of the Ottoman Empire.
Marking the 110th anniversary of the genocide, Armenia and most mainstream Western historians maintain that up to 1.5 million Armenians were systematically killed or starved to death during forced marches into the Syrian desert. Turkey maintains the death toll was far lower and insists the killings were not premeditated.
Although both chambers of the US Congress recognized the Armenian genocide in 2019, the Trump administration maintained a cautious approach, with the State Department clarifying that its position against the term had not changed.
Other major countries that officially recognize the Armenian genocide include France, Russia, and Germany. Trump officials have frequently criticized Biden’s human rights-driven foreign policy as risking American strategic interests, often advocating a more transactional approach.
In contrast, Trump’s administration declared near the end of his term that China was committing genocide against the Uyghur Muslim minority — a designation rejected by Beijing — showcasing a selective use of the term aligned with geopolitical rivalries.
