Vice President JD Vance’s official account on X briefly referred to the "1915 Armenian genocide" following his visit to a memorial in Yerevan on Tuesday, before the post was removed, prompting questions about US policy language on the historical events.

The original message stated that Vance and second lady Usha Vance attended a wreath-laying ceremony “to honor the victims of the 1915 Armenian genocide.” The wording marked a departure from the Trump administration’s established approach, which has not formally adopted the term "genocide" in official statements regarding the mass killings and deportations of Armenians during the final years of the Ottoman Empire.

A senior official connected to the vice president’s office attributed the post to staff members not traveling with Vance and said it did not reflect a change in policy.

The White House reiterated that there has been no shift in the administration’s position, directing attention to its prior statements commemorating Armenian Remembrance Day.

Vance, the first sitting US vice president or president to visit Armenia, told reporters that the visit to the Tsitsernakaberd Armenian Genocide Memorial was made out of respect for the victims and at the request of Armenian officials.

He described the massacre as “a very terrible thing that happened a little over 100 years ago” and emphasized the cultural importance of the memorial to the Armenian people.

He also indicated plans to visit significant sites in neighboring Azerbaijan as part of his regional itinerary.

Following the deletion, the vice president’s official account reposted a message from his press secretary featuring photographs of the wreath-laying ceremony and an image of Vance’s handwritten note in the memorial guest book.

In the note, he wrote: “In solemn remembrance of the lives lost, we honor the resilience and enduring spirit of the Armenian people.”

The terminology surrounding the events of 1915 to 1923 remains diplomatically sensitive.

Estimates of Armenian deaths during that period range widely, from several hundred thousand to more than one million.

The issue continues to shape relations between Armenia and Turkey, a longstanding regional power and strategic partner of the United States.

In recent years, US administrations have varied in their phrasing.

While Congress passed a bipartisan resolution in 2019 recognizing the killings as genocide, executive branch language has differed depending on diplomatic priorities.

The current administration has maintained wording consistent with prior statements issued under President Donald Trump, commemorating the suffering of Armenians without altering official policy language.

The episode underscores the continuing geopolitical sensitivity surrounding historical recognition and the balancing of commemorative gestures with broader strategic considerations in the region.