Clay Risen

oversaw and reinforced what today is called the Lavender Scare, in which anti-communism or fear, you know, allegations of subversion were used to fire hundreds of gay men from the federal government, mostly in the State Department. And so Eisenhower tolerated a lot of stuff that today we would look at and say that's disgusting that he would be for that. But

oversaw and reinforced what today is called the Lavender Scare, in which anti-communism or fear, you know, allegations of subversion were used to fire hundreds of gay men from the federal government, mostly in the State Department. And so Eisenhower tolerated a lot of stuff that today we would look at and say that's disgusting that he would be for that. But

He should get some credit for saying, and I believe that there was a point at which this wasn't going to go further. And I think, at least I make the argument, that for him, he was trying to essentially just dry out. the Red Scare, and run it out. And that he believed, like Truman believed, that fundamentally the American people were not radicals.

He should get some credit for saying, and I believe that there was a point at which this wasn't going to go further. And I think, at least I make the argument, that for him, he was trying to essentially just dry out. the Red Scare, and run it out. And that he believed, like Truman believed, that fundamentally the American people were not radicals.

He should get some credit for saying, and I believe that there was a point at which this wasn't going to go further. And I think, at least I make the argument, that for him, he was trying to essentially just dry out. the Red Scare, and run it out. And that he believed, like Truman believed, that fundamentally the American people were not radicals.

The American people are pragmatic, centrist, and that they would come to their senses with good, strong hand at the tiller, very straight and narrow leadership, that he would provide. That was his idea. And he also, behind the scenes, went after McCarthy. It took him a while, probably too long, but he ultimately did go after McCarthy and really cut his legs out from under him.

The American people are pragmatic, centrist, and that they would come to their senses with good, strong hand at the tiller, very straight and narrow leadership, that he would provide. That was his idea. And he also, behind the scenes, went after McCarthy. It took him a while, probably too long, but he ultimately did go after McCarthy and really cut his legs out from under him.

The American people are pragmatic, centrist, and that they would come to their senses with good, strong hand at the tiller, very straight and narrow leadership, that he would provide. That was his idea. And he also, behind the scenes, went after McCarthy. It took him a while, probably too long, but he ultimately did go after McCarthy and really cut his legs out from under him.

And so Eisenhower was a big part of that story. He's not the only part, but I think it's important that he came along. And it mattered that you had a Republican doing this, given that Truman and Roosevelt unfairly had been tagged as soft on communism.

And so Eisenhower was a big part of that story. He's not the only part, but I think it's important that he came along. And it mattered that you had a Republican doing this, given that Truman and Roosevelt unfairly had been tagged as soft on communism.

And so Eisenhower was a big part of that story. He's not the only part, but I think it's important that he came along. And it mattered that you had a Republican doing this, given that Truman and Roosevelt unfairly had been tagged as soft on communism.

Yeah, well, I think, first of all, it's just basic parallels. We see a lot of the same animus toward ideas we don't like, or that some people don't like. We see the same willingness to use oppressive ideas measures to silence those views or to silence those organizations or people that we disagree with. And so it's a reminder that what happened during the Red Scare can be repeated.

Yeah, well, I think, first of all, it's just basic parallels. We see a lot of the same animus toward ideas we don't like, or that some people don't like. We see the same willingness to use oppressive ideas measures to silence those views or to silence those organizations or people that we disagree with. And so it's a reminder that what happened during the Red Scare can be repeated.

Yeah, well, I think, first of all, it's just basic parallels. We see a lot of the same animus toward ideas we don't like, or that some people don't like. We see the same willingness to use oppressive ideas measures to silence those views or to silence those organizations or people that we disagree with. And so it's a reminder that what happened during the Red Scare can be repeated.

So I think there's that. But I think there's also something more causal in the sense that, you know, After McCarthy fell and after Warren pared back the tools of the Red Scare, there was still a lot of... There was a hard kernel of people who believed, who continued to believe in the cause.

So I think there's that. But I think there's also something more causal in the sense that, you know, After McCarthy fell and after Warren pared back the tools of the Red Scare, there was still a lot of... There was a hard kernel of people who believed, who continued to believe in the cause.

So I think there's that. But I think there's also something more causal in the sense that, you know, After McCarthy fell and after Warren pared back the tools of the Red Scare, there was still a lot of... There was a hard kernel of people who believed, who continued to believe in the cause.

And these were people who funneled into groups like the John Birch Society and other sort of similar, very far-right organizations who believed that McCarthy was a martyr and that there was this cabal of... anti-American elites running the government. And that didn't stop just because the Red Scare did. And it pops up here and there throughout subsequent American history.

And these were people who funneled into groups like the John Birch Society and other sort of similar, very far-right organizations who believed that McCarthy was a martyr and that there was this cabal of... anti-American elites running the government. And that didn't stop just because the Red Scare did. And it pops up here and there throughout subsequent American history.

And these were people who funneled into groups like the John Birch Society and other sort of similar, very far-right organizations who believed that McCarthy was a martyr and that there was this cabal of... anti-American elites running the government. And that didn't stop just because the Red Scare did. And it pops up here and there throughout subsequent American history.