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Inside the Moment – Historical Spotlight

1954: Army-McCarthy Hearings Begin—Televised Showdown Grips the Nation

Washington, D.C. – April 22, 1954

In a pivotal moment for American politics and media, the U.S. Senate launched the televised Army-McCarthy hearings today, drawing millions of viewers into a dramatic confrontation between Senator Joseph McCarthy and the U.S. Army. The hearings marked a turning point in the nation’s growing unease with McCarthy’s aggressive anti-Communist crusade.

The conflict erupted after McCarthy, who had built his career accusing government officials of Communist ties, claimed the Army was shielding suspected subversives. The Army, in turn, accused McCarthy and his legal team of using undue influence to gain special treatment for one of his aides.

For the first time, Americans could watch the drama unfold live on television, witnessing McCarthy’s confrontational tactics and the Army’s pushback. The hearings, broadcast coast to coast, exposed the public to the senator’s bullying style and shifting narratives, sparking a national reckoning.

As the weeks went on, the hearings chipped away at McCarthy’s credibility, with one famous retort—“Have you no sense of decency?”—delivered by Army counsel Joseph Welch, resonating across the country.

The Army-McCarthy hearings would ultimately help bring an end to the Red Scare era and marked the beginning of McCarthy’s political downfall.

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