Vance posted and then deleted a message referring to the ‘Armenian genocide.’ Why the phrase matters

U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s team posted and then deleted a message on social media about the Republican’s visit to a memorial paying tribute to early 20th century Armenians killed by the Ottoman Empire.

The issue was the post using the term “Armenian genocide,” a designation the U.S. government historically has not used for what happened, with a notable exception by the Biden administration. The White House blamed a staff mistake.

Here are some questions and answers about what that means, what Vance himself did and didn’t say, and why it matters.

Vance visited a site called the Armenian Genocide Memorial, Armenia’s official national monument, remembering its citizens who died under the Ottoman Empire’s brutal control during World War I.

The initial post on Vance’s official X account stated that he was visiting the memorial “to honor the victims of the Armenian genocide.” It was replaced with a second post that showed what he wrote in the guest book as well as a clip of the vice president and Usha Vance laying flowers at the memorial.

Vance, the first U.S. vice president to visit Armenia, was in the country as part of the Trump administration's follow-up to a U.S.-brokered deal aimed at ending a decades-long conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where Vance traveled later Tuesday.

“Genocide” is a fraught and legally distinct term that national governments, international bodies and media organizations use carefully.

The United Nations in 1948 defined genocide “to mean certain acts, enumerated in Article II, committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such,” according to the U.S. State Department's long-held understanding.

It is not questioned that many thousands of Armenian citizens, most of them Christians, died at the direction of the Committee of Union and Progress that led the Muslim government in Constantinople, now known as Istanbul.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum estimates that “at least 664,000 and possibly as many as 1.2 million” died.

But the U.S. government has historically not recognized what happened as a “genocide” out of fear of alienating Turkey, a key U.S. ally in the region. In 2021, then-President Joe Biden formally recognized that the systematic killings and deportations of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Ottoman Empire forces were a part of a “genocide.”

Turkey reacted with fury at the time. The foreign minister said his country “will not be given lessons on our history from anyone.”

People of Armenian descent recall the victims with memorials and an annual day of remembrance observed around the world, including in the U.S.

Vance was asked specifically on Tuesday about his visit to the memorial and whether he was “recognizing” genocide.

He avoided using the word and said he went to “pay my respects” at the invitation of his host, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, and his government.

“They said this is a very important site for us, and obviously I’m the first (U.S.) vice president to ever visit Armenia,” Vance said. “They asked us to visit the site. Obviously, it’s a very terrible thing that happened a little over a hundred years ago and something that’s very, very important to them culturally.”

Vance added that it was “a sign of respect, both for the victims but also for the Armenian government that’s been a very important partner for us in the region.”

The White House blamed the original post on a staff member. It’s the second time in less than a week that the West Wing has blamed an unnamed aide for a controversy over a social media post. Last Friday, it was a racist video that Trump had shared on his Truth Social account that depicted former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as jungle primates.

The White House defended that post initially before deleting it after a cascade of criticism.

It’s not yet clear whether there will be any diplomatic consequences. Vance, for his part, seemed determined to keep the focus on the original mission of his trip.

“I think the president struck a great peace deal. I think the administration is really making it stick,” Vance said.

Still, there is the political question of whether Armenian Americans react, with the rhetorical boomerang offering one more reminder of how reluctant the U.S. has been to use the word “genocide” to describe what Armenians remember that way.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance hold flowers as they walk towards the eternal flame at the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance gets out of a car before boarding Air Force Two upon departure for Azerbaijan, at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday Feb. 10, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Vice President JD Vance takes part in the wreath-laying ceremony during a visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial in Yerevan, Armenia Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance speaks to the media before boarding Air Force Two upon departure for Azerbaijan, at Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan, Armenia, Tuesday Feb. 10, 2026. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool Photo via AP)

PHOENIX (AP) — Byron Buxton hit a grand slam in a 10-run fifth inning and the Minnesota Twins clobbered the Arizona Diamondbacks 16-8 on Saturday night.

Buxton has 24 homers to tie Houston’s Yordan Alvarez for the American League lead. He has three career grand slams.

The Nos. 6-9 batters combined for 13 of the Twins' 20 hits, with Brooks Lee having four and missing a cycle by a home run. Victor Caratini, Luke Keaschall and Ryan Kreidler each had three hits.

The Twins had 16 hits in the fourth and fifth innings when they sent a combined 24 batters to the plate.

Minnesota started the fifth with three hits to chase Zac Gallen (3-6), who was charged with nine runs and 12 hits — both career highs — in four-plus innings to raise his ERA to 6.10.

Buxton’s home run, to right-center, came off Yilber Díaz, who gave up seven hits and seven runs. He threw 44 pitches and recorded two outs. Philip Abner relieved and got the final out of the inning.

Taj Bradley (6-3) went five innings, giving up three hits and two runs — both on Jorge Barrosa’s second homer of the season. The Twins have won five of their last six games.

Ildemaro Vargas’ three-run double was the big hit in the Diamondbacks’ five-run seventh against reliever Justin Lawrence.

Vargas, who entered midgame for defense as both teams went to the benches, eventually finished the game on the mound for Arizona, pitching 1 2/3 hitless innings.

Minnesota's Mike Paredes (0-0, 4.20) was set to face Arizona's José Cabrera, making his MLB debut, in the series finale Sunday.

This story has been corrected to fix the spelling of Ryan Kreidler's last name.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Arizona Diamondbacks' Jorge Barrosa (1) celebrates his two-run home run against the Minnesota Twins in the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Minnesota Twins pitcher Taj Bradley works against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Minnesota Twins' Brooks Lee, center, gets high fives from teammates after scoring a run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the fourth inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton (25) celebrates after hitting a grand slam with teammates Josh Bell (56) and Ryan Kreidler (5) in the fifth inning of a baseball game against Arizona Diamondbacks Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Minnesota Twins' Byron Buxton, right, hits a grand slam in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks during a baseball game Saturday, June 20, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)