Did President Trump Purposefully Avoid the Word “Genocide”? A Closer Look at the 2025 Armenian Remembrance Day Message
On April 24, 2025, President Donald J. Trump released a presidential message commemorating Armenian Remembrance Day. While expressing sympathy for the suffering experienced during the final years of the Ottoman Empire, the message notably did not include the word “genocide.” Instead, President Trump used the term “Meds Yeghern” — a phrase meaning “Great Calamity” in Armenian — mirroring the language of several past U.S. presidents prior to 2021.
This linguistic choice has sparked renewed discussion among historians, diplomats, and advocacy organizations: Was this an intentional shift away from politically charged terminology?
A Diplomatic Balancing Act?
From a Turkish-American standpoint, the decision to avoid the term “genocide” reflects a more historically nuanced and diplomatically responsible approach. Rather than assigning a modern legal label to a deeply complex and tragic chapter of history, President Trump’s message acknowledges the suffering without politicizing the past or vilifying a specific people or nation — namely, the Ottomans, whose legacy forms a foundational part of Turkish identity.
While some interest groups may interpret the use of “Meds Yeghern” as a form of implicit recognition, others — especially within the Turkish-American community — see it as a deliberate and measured decision not to distort history through oversimplified narratives.
Why It Matters
Official U.S. use of the word “genocide” carries diplomatic, historical, and emotional weight — and it is often used not as a tool of healing, but of division. By avoiding this term, President Trump’s 2025 message leaves the door open for more balanced, fact-based dialogue and avoids alienating a NATO ally with a shared history of cooperation.
Moreover, Turkish Americans continue to advocate for a broader, more honest portrayal of World War I-era tragedies — one that includes the suffering of Turks, Kurds, Azeris, Muslims, and others, not just Armenians. The Ottoman collapse was not one-sided, and hundreds of thousands of Muslims perished during the same era due to war, starvation, and ethnic violence.
The TC-USA PAC Perspective
At TC-USA PAC, we believe history must be approached with honesty, depth, and respect for all affected peoples — not with politically motivated labels. We thank President Trump for taking a more careful and inclusive approach in his 2025 statement. His choice of words signals a willingness to recognize the complexity of historical events without engaging in blame-based narratives that risk alienating the Turkish-American community.
We call for continued dialogue, education, and advocacy that encourages facts over slogans — and mutual understanding over division.