How Kim Kardashian Responded To Joe Biden Recognizing Armenian Genocide

Kim Kardashian on Sunday showed her appreciation for President Joe Biden after he used a presidential proclamation on Saturday to make the formal declaration to recognize Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day.

American presidents had steered clear of using the word “genocide” to describe the massacre of Armenians under the Ottoman Empire during World War I out of fear of sparking further tension with key ally Turkey.

Biden’s use of the term "genocide" won him praise from Kardashian, a wealthy socialite whose father was of Armenian descent. She shared an Instagram post expressing her gratitude for his acknowledgment of the estimated 1.5 million Armenian deaths.

"After more than a century of fighting for truth and acknowledgment, today the Armenian people received the recognition we have all been hoping and praying for, with President Biden declaring the massacre of 1.5 million Armenians in 1915 a genocide,” Kardashian posted to her account, which has 216 million followers.

“I’m so proud of my heritage, proud of the Armenian communities and grateful to President Biden for granting every Armenian this day, and this truth.”

Kardashian added: “Thank you President Biden for your courage to speak the truths other chose not to.”

Biden’s declaration Saturday made him the first U.S. president to use "genocide" to describe the mass killings. The comments come as the U.S. continues to have strained relations with Turkish President Recep Erdogan.

“Today, as we mourn what was lost, let us also turn our eyes to the future -- toward the world that we wish to build for our children. A world unstained by the daily evils of bigotry and intolerance, where human rights are respected, and where all people are able to pursue their lives in dignity and security,” Biden said.

“Let us renew our shared resolve to prevent future atrocities from occurring anywhere in the world. And let us pursue healing and reconciliation for all the people of the world. The American people honor all those Armenians who perished in the genocide that began 106 years ago today.”

Following Biden’s statements, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu rejected Biden’s use of the term.

“We are not going to take lessons about our history from anyone. Political opportunism is the biggest betrayal of peace and justice. We completely reject this statement that is only based on populism,” he wrote in a tweet.

The number of Armenians killed during the massacre has been widely debated over the years. Whether the decrease of Armenians living in Turkey was due to forced deportation or murder, the number fell from 2 million in 1914 to less than 400,000 by 1922.