President Trump’s Statement Misses Opportunity to End Genocide Denial—Again

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump’s April 24, 2025 statement marking the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide represents yet another deeply disappointing failure to affirm historical truth and confront the enduring scourge of genocide denial, according to the Armenian Council of America.

“The failure to directly and clearly acknowledge the Armenian Genocide—especially after President Biden took the historic and morally courageous step of recognizing it during his term—is profoundly troubling,” said Sevak Khatchadorian, Chairman of the Armenian Council of America. “This retreat from truth is not only a step backward, but a signal to authoritarian regimes that historical revisionism is tolerable. A genocide denied is an injustice perpetuated.”

In 2021, President Biden broke with decades of diplomatic evasion by formally recognizing the Ottoman Empire’s extermination of 1.5 million Armenians as genocide. His declaration marked a turning point in U.S. moral leadership and global human rights advocacy. In contrast, President Trump’s 2025 statement reverted to vague language, invoking the Armenian phrase Medz Yeghern—meaning “Great Crime”—while once again avoiding the term “genocide.” This deliberate ambiguity sends a dangerous message and emboldens regimes like Azerbaijan to continue their campaign of aggression with impunity.

“This is not a matter of semantics or political nuance—it is a matter of life and death,” Khatchadorian emphasized. “Azerbaijan’s dictatorship has waged a relentless war on Armenians, claiming thousands of lives, displacing the entire indigenous Armenian population of Artsakh, and continuing its unlawful military occupation of sovereign Armenian territory.”

The Azeri regime’s human rights abuses are ongoing and well-documented: Armenian prisoners are subjected to sham trials; ethnic hatred is weaponized for political gain; and Armenophobia is codified as state policy. President Ilham Aliyev’s regime incites hatred, spreads racist propaganda, and scapegoats Armenians to maintain power and suppress dissent.

President Trump’s statement reflects a troubling pattern of euphemism and silence that not only dishonors the memory of the genocide’s victims but also reinforces dangerous denialist narratives. “By stepping back from Biden’s precedent, Trump has squandered a critical opportunity to affirm truth over political expediency,” said Khatchadorian.

President Ronald Reagan, in 1981, provided the clarity still urgently needed today: “Like the genocide of the Armenians before it… the lessons of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.” Trump’s failure to uphold this legacy is not merely a missed opportunity—it is a moral failure of leadership at a moment when principled action is most needed.

Below is the full statement released by the White House:

Presidential Message on Armenian Remembrance Day, 2025

Today we commemorate the Meds Yeghern, and honor the memories of those wonderful souls who suffered in one of the worst disasters of the 20th Century. Beginning in 1915, one and a half million Armenians were exiled and marched to their deaths in the final years of the Ottoman Empire. On this Day of Remembrance, we again join the Great Armenian Community in America, and around the World, in mourning the many lives that were lost.

Every year on April 24th, we reflect on the strong and enduring ties between the American and Armenian peoples. We are proud of the American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief, a groundbreaking effort established in 1915 that provided crucial humanitarian support to Armenian Refugees, and grateful for the thousands of Americans who contributed or volunteered to help the Armenians expelled from their homes.

On this day, we bear witness to the strength and resiliency of the Armenian people in the face of tragedy. We are fortunate that so many Armenians have brought their rich culture to our shores, and contributed so much to our Country, including decorated soldiers, celebrated entertainers, renowned architects, and successful business people.

As we honor the memory of those lost, my Administration remains committed to safeguarding religious freedom and protecting vulnerable minorities. We look forward to continuing our strategic partnership with Armenia, and upholding regional stability as we continue to pursue enduring prosperity and security.