24. Layered Deceptions

The Johnson Administration, in its attempt to maintain public support for the Vietnam War, embarked on a policy of “minimum candor,” urging media outlets to focus solely on battlefield successes. This strategy aimed to paint an optimistic picture of the war effort, sidelining the harsh realities faced by Allied troops on the ground. However, this approach backfired spectacularly.

As reports of unrelenting combat and stagnant progress became impossible to ignore, public skepticism towards the government’s portrayal of the war intensified; victory after victory was won, and it seemed suspicious, leading to the decline of public trust.