Former U.S. Presidential Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy strongly criticized U.S. foreign policy, particularly its support for Azerbaijan’s ethnic cleansing and Genocide of the Armenians in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), which took place from 2020-2023, during a conversation with pro-Armenia pastor Joel Tenney at The People’s Convention organized by Turning Point Action in Detroit, Michigan.
During their dialogue, Tenney asked Vivek: “ŠHow can we stand for freedom and liberty and justice for our country and allow these Christians to be persecuted the way they have been in places such as Armenia?”
Vivek replied: “I’m glad you’re raising this. There’s 120,000 Armenian Christians who were displaced from their homeland. Does that mean that we should be going to war for their border? As I’ve opposed it in Ukraine, we shouldn’t be doing it in Armenia either. But actually, here’s the dirty little secret. the U.S. taxpayer, all of us who is funding Azerbaijan to actually do it. So the irony is everybody who’s somehow in the Ukraine caucus doesn’t have a peep to say about the real human rights travesty that we’re responsible for funding.
The first and sole moral duty of U.S. elected leaders is actually to the citizens of the United States of America. And we stand with our allies by not. The very people who are trampling over them and you have 120,000 reasons for me to continue to talk about this issue as I will and I’m hoping to travel to Armenia later this year to actually make the point.”
The People’s Convention, a focal point for conservative leaders ahead of the 2024 election, featured a lineup of high-profile speakers including Donald J. Trump, Charlie Kirk, Dr. Ben Carson, and Tulsi Gabbard, among others, discussing various national and international issues.
Vivek Ramaswamy has repeatedly criticized the United States for its silence and for funding Azerbaijan’s genocide and ethnic cleansing of over 120,000 ethnic Armenians from Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Ramaswamy has denounced the United States’ selective intervention around the world, describing it as a “product of an incoherent foreign policy emanating from both political parties” (Democratic and Republican Party).
Ramaswamy’s comments come at a critical time when U.S. foreign policy and its global ramifications are under scrutiny. His commitment to addressing the plight of Armenian Christians not only draws attention to overlooked conflicts but also challenges other leaders to reevaluate their stance on international human rights issues.
