American Scandal

Joseph McCarthy dreams of a bigger life. He wants something beyond the farms of Wisconsin, something more important than cornfields and local disputes. He wants political power in Washington, D.C. And he has a plan to get it.

Joseph McCarthy gets help from powerful allies in Washington. As McCarthy’s influence grows, other senators weigh the political cost of challenging him.

Joseph McCarthy searches for communist infiltrators in the U.S. government. He lands on a big target, one that earns him a formidable enemy.

Accusations emerge that Joseph McCarthy blackmailed the military. He faces investigations in the Senate, and a potentially devastating outcome.

Joseph McCarthy was one of the most consequential politicians in American history. He upended Washington, and even influenced foreign policy for years to come. In this interview, Lindsay chats with Larry Tye, the author of Demagogue, a biography of McCarthy. The two discuss the early stages of the Red Scare, which laid the foundation for McCarthy’s rise. Tye also reveals why McCarthy was able to grow so powerful—and so popular.