VP Vance's Deleted Armenian Genocide Tweet Sparks Concern in Diaspora

The Vice President's social media post referring to the Armenian Genocide was quickly removed, drawing criticism from the Armenian-American community.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

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Vice President JD Vance became the first sitting American Vice President to visit Armenia, but his trip was overshadowed by a social media mishap. Vance's X account posted and then deleted a message referring to the Armenian Genocide after visiting the genocide monument in the country. The deleted tweet sparked outrage among the Armenian diaspora, who accused the administration of trying to rewrite history.

Why it matters

The Armenian Genocide, which killed 1.5 million Armenians between 1915 and 1923, is a sensitive and politically charged issue. The Vice President's visit and the subsequent deletion of the tweet referencing the genocide have raised concerns about the administration's stance on acknowledging this historical atrocity.

The details

After meeting with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, signing a nuclear deal, and visiting the Armenian Genocide monument, Vance's X account posted a message referring to the genocide. However, the post was quickly deleted, which was interpreted by some as an attempt to avoid acknowledging the genocide. Vance's press secretary blamed the incident on a staffing error, replacing the post without the term 'Armenian Genocide'.

  • Vice President JD Vance visited Armenia on February 11, 2026.
  • Vance's X account posted and then deleted a message referring to the Armenian Genocide shortly after his visit to the genocide monument.

The players

Vice President JD Vance

The first sitting American Vice President to visit Armenia.

Barlow Der Mugrdechian

A professor of Armenian Studies at Fresno State University.

Varoujan Der Simonian

The director of the Armenian Heritage Museum.

Tom Holyoke

A professor of Political Science at Fresno State University.

Aram Hamparian

The president of the Armenian National Committee of America.

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What they’re saying

“Seems to be a lot of these staffers making mistakes.”

— Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Professor of Armenian Studies (yourcentralvalley.com)

“When we talk to the Armenians, they say this was a very important site for us.”

— Vice President JD Vance (yourcentralvalley.com)

“A few minutes later, it was removed which can be read as that somebody didn't like the fact that he had gone to the genocide monument.”

— Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Professor of Armenian Studies (yourcentralvalley.com)

“To have a staff member to come back and delete the word genocide and say this is an error, that's not acceptable.”

— Varoujan Der Simonian, Armenian Heritage Museum Director (yourcentralvalley.com)

“This administration regularly tries to rewrite history, but we won't allow it. Our Armenian community deserves better.”

— Congressman Jim Costa (yourcentralvalley.com)

What’s next

The Armenian government is likely to continue pushing for the administration to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide and address other issues related to the conflict with Azerbaijan, such as the holding of Armenian hostages and the desecration of Armenian Christian sites.

The takeaway

The Vice President's visit to Armenia and the subsequent social media mishap have highlighted the ongoing tensions surrounding the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and the need for the administration to engage more meaningfully with the Armenian-American community on this and other issues of importance to the diaspora.