How did senator McCarthy spread the fear of communism in the US?

Answer 1

McCarthy claimed he had a list of "known communists" working in the State Department. The number of names on the list changed from speech to speech. He opened a Senate hearing on the matter and accused anyone who disagreed with him of being a communist or a communist sympathizer. He brought in witnesses to name names of communists whom they knew, but many of the names were so-called "suspected communists" and there was no proof that any of the names were of actual communist spies. People often denounced their neighbors and co-workers so that they themselves would not be accused of being communists. Some people denounced political or business rivals, without proof, to give themselves an advantage over their antagonists. Finally, McCarthy was brought down by a one-two punch of Edward R. Murrow showing a TV documentary in which nothing but McCarthy's own words were used to indict him, and Attorney Joe Walsh challenged McCarthy in his own Senate committee by asking him, "For the love of God, Senator, have you no shame?"