The Tet Offensive contributed to a decline in the presidential approval ratings of which U.S. president?

The Tet Offensive contributed to a decline in the presidential approval ratings of which U.S. president?

• A. Lyndon B. Johnson
• B. John F. Kennedy
• C. Richard Nixon
• D. Harry S. Truman

Answer: (A)

The Tet Offensive shifted how the American public viewed the Vietnam War and, by extension, the president leading the country through it. In January 1968, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a wide-reaching attack across South Vietnam. While the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually repelled the offensive and showed some battlefield gains, the scale and surprise of the attacks contradicted the optimistic reports that the war was nearing a quick victory. That gap between what the government claimed and what people saw on the ground sapped trust in the president’s leadership and the administration’s war strategy, leading to a notable drop in his public approval. This moment helped spur growing anti-war sentiment, protests, and demands for change at the top levels of government. The other figures weren’t president at the time of Tet, so the event didn’t have the same immediate impact on their approval ratings.

The Tet Offensive shifted how the American public viewed the Vietnam War and, by extension, the president leading the country through it. In January 1968, North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces launched a wide-reaching attack across South Vietnam. While the U.S. and South Vietnamese forces eventually repelled the offensive and showed some battlefield gains, the scale and surprise of the attacks contradicted the optimistic reports that the war was nearing a quick victory. That gap between what the government claimed and what people saw on the ground sapped trust in the president’s leadership and the administration’s war strategy, leading to a notable drop in his public approval. This moment helped spur growing anti-war sentiment, protests, and demands for change at the top levels of government. The other figures weren’t president at the time of Tet, so the event didn’t have the same immediate impact on their approval ratings.