Harut Sassounian - Armenian American and the 2024 US Presidential Elections | Ep 380 - Nov 2, 2024 [EP380]

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Guest:

• Harut Sassounian

Topics:

On the Major US Presidential Candidates Do Minor Candidates Matter for us? Are We Organized Enough to Influence US Elections? How would Harris or Trump Affect Armenia & Region?

Episode 380 | Recorded: November 1, 2024

Show Notes

Armenian Americans and the 2024 US Presidential Elections

When it comes to the two major presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, their records are pretty dismal. In fact, some would say that their records have been inimical to Armenia.

During Trump’s term, the United States continued to provide military aid to Azerbaijan. Trump continued to waive Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act until the start of the 2020 war. Trump was unable or unwilling to deter Turkey, a NATO member, from directly participating in the 2020 war, which was a decisive factor in Azerbaijan’s criminal war.

In his first year as president, Biden finally recognized the Armenian Genocide but the next day, he proceded to waive Section 907 again, enabling the US government to continue to provide military aid to Azerbaijan. On the eve of the ethnic cleansing of Artsakh in 2023, US officials vowed that they would not tolerate a military attack by Azerbaijan and any attempt to “ethnically cleanse” a severely weakened Artsakh, left to its own devices by the government of Nikol Pashinyan. Artsakh was wiped out in an extremely violent military attack in September 2023 and almost immediately, US and Azerbaijan relations went back to “business as usual”.

Fast forward to the lead-up of the elections that are due to take place in less than a week and both campaigns made statements about Artsakh.

• On September 21, Harris sent a letter on the occasion of Armenian independence day and affirmed the Armenian Genocide, stated her support for a lasting peace between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and she expressed support for “the right for Armenians displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh to return return safely to their homes”.
• Meanwhile, Trump slammed Harris for doing nothing while in office during the ethnic cleansing of Christian Armenians. He said: “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.” He also uttered the term “Artsakh”.

In this presidential race, Armenian Americans seem to be not a subject in the discussion, but an object. In fact, we seem to be the punchline of their jokes.

Questions:

• What’s your assessment of the Harris and Trump administrations? And how should the Armenian community act in these elections?

Note:

• Harut Sassounian’s article in The California Courier titled “Presidential Candidates Issue pro-Artsakh Statements: You Decide Who to Vote for…”

Aram Hamparian, in Episode 378, informed us that the ANCA is withholding its recommendation for the presidential candidate.

Questions:

• What do you think about this policy?

There are other candidates on the presidential ballot, like the Green Party’s Jill Stein, a perennial presence, sort of like a modern day Ralph Nader. Outraged at US military support for Israel, which is currently engaged in genocide in Gaza, the Arab and Muslim Political Action Committee (AMPAC) has endorsed Stein.

Questions:

• Would something like this have worked for Armenian Americans as well?
  • Do these minor candidates matter for us?
• Are we organized enough to do something like this in future elections where the race provides the opportunity?
• What is your sense of the Armenian American vote, this late in the cycle?
• Regardless of how Armenians vote, thinking about the wider geopolitical implications, how would a Trump or Harris victory affect Armenia and its region?
• What about their different effects on the war on Gaza and now Lebanon as well?

Wrap-up

That’s our show! We hope you found it useful. Please find us on Social Media and follow us everywhere you get your Armenian news.

Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

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