On Wednesday, Trump issued his strongest condemnation of Azerbaijan and show of support for Armenia yet, bashing Vice President Kamala Harris for not stopping the destruction of the Armenian enclave of Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh.

“Kamala Harris did NOTHING as 120,000 Armenian Christians were horrifically persecuted and forcibly displaced in Artsakh,” he wrote in a post on Truth Social. “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.”

Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, reposted the message with a further endorsement.

“The United States should fight against the persecution of Christians all over the world, and it will when President Trump is back in the White House,” he said. “Kamala Harris has done nothing.”

The United States should fight against the persecution of Christians all over the world, and it will when President Trump is back in the White House.

Kamala Harris has done nothing. pic.twitter.com/OYDQ2R95r7

— JD Vance (@JDVance) October 23, 2024

Close Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy has spoken at length regarding the situation in Artsakh, praising Trump for his stance on the conflict.

“Very gratified to see President Trump speak out about the persecution & displacement of Armenian Christians in Artsakh,” he said. “It’s our job to call out the hypocrisy of the foreign policy establishment & we refuse to simply sweep this issue under the rug.”

The Washington Examiner reached out to the Azerbaijani Embassy for comment.

Trump has largely avoided commenting on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict throughout the 2024 cycle, while Harris commented on it once amid criticism for U.S. inaction during the blockade and the eventual destruction of Artsakh during the Biden administration.

The sudden change was greeted with jubilation by many Armenian Americans, while others viewed it with cautious optimism.

“I’m not holding my breath,” Armenian American communications strategist Stephan Pechdimaldji told the Washington Examiner of Trump’s comments. “Obviously, you know, we’ve seen this movie before, with presidential candidates promising things to the Armenian people.”

Pechdimaldji said it was important to note that the Second Nagorno-Karabakh War in 2020 started under the Trump administration, with “inaction on their part to do anything about it,” though he ceded that it was partially due to struggles with dealing with COVID-19 and the last presidential election, as the war coincided with the height of both.

“But I will say that his statement goes well beyond what Harris has said when it comes to this situation,” Pechdimaldji said. “You know, Trump mentioned ethnic cleansing, which was a powerful statement. Harris, in her statement, I don’t believe mentioned anything about ethnic cleansing. So from that perspective, Trump was holding Azerbaijan accountable for its actions, whereas Harris has yet to say anything about Azerbaijan.”

He described his overall attitude as “cautiously optimistic,” while specifically praising Ramaswamy’s support for Armenia.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Vivek had a role to play in this, so that’s very promising that Trump is surrounded by people that that are taking this situation very seriously,” Pechdimaldji added.

Two other key Trump allies, former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and former Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, are among the most outspoken high-profile supporters of Armenia. Gabbard was banned from Azerbaijan in 2017 after visiting Artsakh, which was considered an illegitimate separatist-occupied province.

Pechdimaldji said that though it is too early to gauge the full reaction, he believes the Armenian American community will likely feel the same way he does.

“This will be well received because Trump did mention ethnic cleansing, which is nothing the Biden or Harris administration has even yet to acknowledge, so that, in and of itself, is a big deal for us,” he said.

On Armenian Independence Day in September, Harris issued a statement acknowledging the 1915 Armenian Genocide and showing support for the right of ethnic Armenians to return to Nagorno-Karabakh.

“I remain committed to a lasting peace between Armenia and its neighbors that respects sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity,” she said. “The right for Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to return safely to their homes is vital to restoring dignity to the Armenian people and stability to the region.”

The failure of the Biden-Harris administration to influence events between Armenia and Azerbaijan has greatly angered the Armenian diaspora in the U.S., with many going so far as to threaten to withhold their votes in protest. With Harris appearing intent to carry on Biden’s foreign policy, her candidacy is closely connected with his.

No exact figures reveal the true total number of Armenians in the U.S., but estimates vary from 800,000 to 1.5 million. Most are in or near “Little Armenia” around Glendale, California, where little electoral effect can be felt.

However, a substantial number reside in swing states, which held previous races that were only decided by thousands of votes in some cases.

According to Pechdimaldji, there are 200,000 Armenian Americans across Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin. Those numbers could also serve as a force multiplier, as Armenians have a close relationship with other Mediterranean Christians, including Greeks, Assyrians, Lebanese, and Arab Christians, most of whom tend to lean more liberal than the general public.

Armenian and Greek Americans are also some of the wealthiest immigrant groups, holding outsize political power. The Armenian lobby is known to be especially powerful, mainly focusing on countering Turkey and Azerbaijan, recognizing the Armenian genocide, and supporting Armenia. It has found allies in both Republican and Democratic camps as support for Armenian interests has historically been a hodgepodge of figures from both parties.