WASHINGTON—Republican presidential candidate Donald J. Trump condemned the Biden-Harris administration’s inaction in the face of the persecution and forced displacement of Artsakh’s Armenian Christians and pledged to “stop the violence and ethnic cleansing and […] restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” reported the Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).
“Kamala Harris did NOTHING as 120,000 Armenian Christians were horrifically persecuted and forcibly displaced in Artsakh. Christians around the World will not be safe if Kamala Harris is President of the United States. When I am President, I will protect persecuted Christians, I will work to stop the violence and ethnic cleansing, and we will restore PEACE between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” stated Trump on his Truth Social account on October 23.
“President Trump, who dramatically ramped up U.S. military aid to Azerbaijan — arming and emboldening the Aliyev regime’s 2020 attack on Artsakh — needs to do more than issue a campaign statement, needs to deliver actual results before Election Day. He can start by publicly affirming Artsakh’s right to return and personally calling on Speaker of the House Johnson to schedule a floor vote on H.R.7288, enforcing Section 907 restrictions on U.S. aid to Azerbaijan,” said ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian. “For his part, vice presidential candidate JD Vance — a sitting member of the U.S. Senate — should cosponsor and work for the passage of S.Res.540, scrutinizing Azerbaijan’s use of U.S. military aid to commit anti-Armenian war crimes.”
“While we are gratified to see that our community’s sustained engagement has forced Artsakh and Armenia into our national electoral discourse, we expect and deserve more than words. To earn our votes, we need to see deliverables, now — actions that materially hold Aliyev accountable and deter renewed Azerbaijani aggression,” added Hamparian.
With less than two weeks to go to the 2024 U.S. presidential elections, both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates have issued statements regarding Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) — vying for the support of Armenian Americans voters across the U.S. – and especially in key swing states including Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.
On September 23, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris expressed support for the “right for Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to return safely to their homes.” Vice-President Harris also noted that “we must never forget the Armenian Genocide,” and stressed her commitment to “lasting peace between Armenia and its neighbors that respects sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity.”
“It’s clear — Armenian votes matter. We saw it today with former President Trump calling out the Biden-Harris administration’s inaction in the face of Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh. We saw it a couple of weeks ago with Vice President Harris calling for the safe and sustainable return of Armenians to Artsakh,” stated Hamparian in a video message to Armenian American voters and coalition partners. “This is an important milestone for our community, an important milestone in our emergence as an electoral force on the American national stage. So please remain engaged and keep up the pressure. Our investments in the American political system are paying off.”
Earlier this year, the ANCA gave an “F” rating to both the Trump and Biden administrations for aiding and abetting Azerbaijan and Turkey’s aggression against Armenia and Artsakh, leading to the genocidal ethnic cleansing of Artsakh’s 120,000 Armenian population and the ongoing Azerbaijani occupation of sovereign Armenia territory. The ANCA offered recommendations to the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees to take concrete action to address Armenian American concerns.
In an August 13 statement, the ANCA shared with the Republican presidential ticket, “Armenian American voters expect the Trump-Vance campaign to condemn Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing of Artsakh and endorse Congressional efforts to hold Azerbaijan accountable for its crimes against humanity. This must begin with the Trump-Vance campaign endorsing H.R.7288 to enforce Section 907 of the FREEDOM Support Act, supporting the imposition of targeted Global Magnitsky Act sanctions against Azerbaijani war criminals, and advocating for the right of return of indigenous Armenians of Artsakh to their homes under international protections. Additionally, as a sitting U.S. Senator, the ANCA urges JD Vance to demonstrate his commitment to holding Azerbaijan accountable for human rights abuses by co-sponsoring S.Res.540 – which would require the Department of State to conduct a formal investigation into Azerbaijan’s human rights abuses pursuant to Section 502B(c) of the Foreign Assistance Act.”
In a July 30 statement, the ANCA told the Democratic presidential nominee that “Armenian American voters expect decisive action to rectify the Biden-Harris Administration’s shameful abandonment of Artsakh’s Armenians — starting with the immediate prohibition of U.S. assistance to Azerbaijan, the imposition of targeted sanctions against Azerbaijani war criminals, actions to guarantee the right of return for the indigenous Armenians of Artsakh, and a substantial increase in humanitarian assistance to Artsakh refugees.”
The full record of both President Trump and Vice President Harris on Armenian American concerns is available in the ANCA’s 2024 Election Center.
Latest posts by ANCA (see all)
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Every thing Trump promised in 2016, he delivered on. Harris didn’t even visit the border although she was the border czar, and that is undisputed. She did not even have one delegate vote, and yet she crookedly got the nomination. She stands on a history of lies and foments hatred. Trump did positive things internationally, I won’t believe any of her “promises”. Take a deep look at reality before you cast your vote.
Listen to the video. Aram speaks to both candidates’ stance on the issue. Harris spoke out first.
Look at the records of many Democrats who have supported Armenians. Learn what powers politicians have and have not. Many factors influence issues from the economy to I political diplomacy.
Trump is self-serving and untrustworthy. I don’t care if he offered Armenians more land, money, or what-not. I would not trust the anti- Christ, the dictator wannabe, the dowager of doom, the person who would turn on me and perhaps destroy me.
Do you not see the horrible actions and hurt Trump has cast through out his life? Narcissists like him don’t want to acknowledge their actions. They twist words, spew blame, and lie. They are masters of “half-truths”. See the reincarnation of Talaat Pasha or Hitler starring you in the face.
Trump, Biden and Harris are as bad as each other. The Second Artsakh War erupted during the Trump Presidency. What did he do? Nothing! The starvation blockade, destruction of Artsakh and the flight of all Armenians from Artsakh happened during the Biden Presidency. What did he do? Nothing! If another war is started by Azerbaijan during a Harris Presidency, it is a near certainty that she will do nothing! Yet, when it is election time, they will shamelessly pander to the ethnic vote, making all sorts of promises, which they, as usual, don’t keep and conveniently forget, once they are elected. And everytime, the Armenian Americans and other demographic groups, are fooled by the candidates’ sweet talk and campaign promises, and let down. It is the same routine.
99.99% of Americans cannot find Armenia on a map – and that includes Kamala.
The idea that the Americans will ride, like the Seventh Cavalry, to Armenia’s rescue, is just ludicrous.
The Americans have a huge base in Incirlik in Turkey, does anybody seriously believe that the Americans will put that base at risk, to support Armenia against the Turks?
The Americans are not coming.
Conjectures, clichés and soundbites aside, there is much electioneering rhetoric which shouldn’t be taken seriously.
Whilst America is more sympathetic to Armenia and the tie in with Russia has declined. Just as Russia has let Armenians down this doesn’t mean that America will save Armenia at all even if it’s relationship with Turkey has cooled. America foreign priorities are Europe and the war in Ukraine, Israel and the near east and in east Asia regarding China the south Caucasus isn’t a priority for the USA just as it’s not a priority for Russia actually.
The false hope that Russia gained by some in the desperate days of 2020 were to meet their reality check in 2023.
@Robert Whig
Exactly! The Americans are only interested in a country, if it is of strategic importance for them and/or of economic importance for them. They never come to the “rescue” of a country out of altruism, idealism and humanitarian reasons, even though they march in on these pretexts. Kuwait, Iraq, Libya and Kosovo are the prime examples. Armenia does not fulfill the Americans’ “criteria” for an American “rescue”.
In the past, the Americans did not conceal their imperialist pretext, citing the Monroe Doctrine and their “Manifest Destiny”, when they occupied Central American and Caribbean countries, in order to control their economies and exploit their resources, as well as to impose US-friendly regimes who would uphold American economic and strategic interests, once they departed.
U.S. will do nothing, I don’t know why there is a perception that Washington will take action.
In the end, pick your poison and vote your wallet.
Trump has never helped Armenia. He refused to say the word Genocide. He didn’t want that on his watch. He gave the Azerbaijani’s more money for weapons. It seemed to me he looked up to Turkey for its dictatorship. Biden finally accepted it was a Genocide. Whether you like him or not. He deserves that credit. When Kamala was in Calif. she worked towards Armenian issues. My Grandfather was a boy when the Genocide happened. He lost nearly everyone. He once told me his one regret, that he wouldn’t live long enough to see it recognized. He didn’t. But on that day. I said, finally. For that, I thank Biden.