Credibility on the Line
American officials worried that abandoning Vietnam would damage U.S. reputation worldwide. National Security Advisor McGeorge Bundy argued that American “prestige” was at stake. Pentagon Papers revealed how concerns about looking weak drove decision-making. NATO allies watched Vietnam as a test of American commitment to fighting communism. This focus on credibility trapped policymakers in a cycle of escalation. They continued fighting partly to prove they had been right to start fighting in the first place.
