FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Asm. Harabedian’s Statement on President Trump’s Failu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, April 24, 2026

CONTACT: Sam Villaneda,
[email protected], (760) 269-9391

Tom Steel, [email protected], (916) 319-2041

Asm. Harabedian’s Statement on President Trump’s Failure to Recognize the Armenian Genocide

(PASADENA, CA) – On Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Assemblymember John Harabedian, Chair of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation and the only Armenian serving in the State Legislature, issued the following
statement in response to President Trump’s failure to acknowledge the Armenian Genocide:

“On the very day we honor the memory of 1.5 million Armenians who were systematically murdered, President Trump once again chose silence over truth. By refusing to call the Armenian Genocide what it is, he is perpetuating a dangerous
false narrative. As an Armenian American, this is a betrayal of history and a deliberate act of denial. We will not beg any leader to recognize our history. The facts are clear, and the truth demands to be spoken,� said Assemblymember John Harabedian
(D-Pasadena)

Each year on April 24, Armenians around the world commemorate the genocide that claimed over 1.5 million lives at the hands of the Ottoman Empire. Recognition is essential. Naming genocide affirms historical truth, honors the victims, and
reinforces a global promise to prevent such atrocities from happening again. 

President Trump’s continued refusal to use the word “genocide,� even on this solemn day of remembrance, undermines decades of advocacy and disregards the moral responsibility to confront injustice with honesty. At a time when the Armenian
people continue to face ongoing threats, this failure sends a dangerous message that truth can be ignored. 

California has made its position clear: we will not waver in recognizing the Armenian Genocide.

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Assemblymember John Harabedian represents the 41st District composed of the cities of La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, Bradbury, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont,
Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Oak Hills, Piñon Hills and Phelan.