The White House deleted a post from Vice President JD Vance's account that commemorated Armenian massacres as a 'genocide,' calling it an error that could upset Turkey. Vance visited the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan during the first-ever visit by a U.S. vice president to Armenia, laying a wreath honoring the 1.5 million Armenians killed.

A Vance aide said the message was posted by staff not on the traveling delegation, describing the account as managed by staff who primarily share photos and videos of the Vice President's activities. The deletion highlights the diplomatic tightrope the Trump administration walks with Turkey, a NATO ally where President Tayyip Erdogan has maintained close ties with President Trump. Turkey accepts many Armenians were killed in World War One but denies the killings were systematically orchestrated.

Trump avoided using the term 'genocide' in his own statement last year, despite Congress and his predecessor Joe Biden recognizing the 1915 massacres as such. The social media deletion came days after the White House deleted a racist depiction of former President Barack Obama posted to Trump's Truth Social account. Vance told reporters the visit was meant as a sign of respect to Armenian partners in the region, as his trip aimed to promote peace agreements between Armenia and Azerbaijan.