To what extent did the American public’s reaction to the Vie

These criticisms, public protest and the way the war seemed to be failing and the economic problems it was causing, all brought pressure on the president. Johnson’s bad performance at the press conference following Tet, made the public even more questioning of the war. The shocking media reports influenced the public’s reaction. Therefore it is true to say that the press were partly responsible for the growth of anti war feeling and thus the declining support for the president and the war it self. Congress criticised the president for spending more money on the war than on the Great Society programme. This event occurred on the Tet festival that is the equivalent of Christmas, New Year and Easter. There was increasing government deficit: in 1965- $1. “There will be moments of encouragement and discouragement,” said President Johnson; this made Americans feel a lack of leadership in their president and so support for him was beginning to decline. Such issues of the failures of the Americans in the war had reached home. The escalating cost of war and the increasing taxes to pay for it was becoming an issue. He was also unwilling to betray the Americans who were fighting and dying in Vietnam. However the source of all these issues and criticisms were brought on by the war itself. So in the long term the Americans had won, however it did create 12,000 dead Southern civilians and created 1 million refugees. The media reports had an affect on the public’s reaction. It could be said the media coverage of the Vietnam War was too cruel for the American eyes, who have never really witnessed war on their own land.