Immigration

Steven Greenhut | 9.27.2024 7:00 AM

Sen. Joseph McCarthy rose to prominence in the 1950s as he leveled wild allegations about communist infiltration in the U.S. government. Communism was an international threat at the time—and some sympathizers had indeed gained positions of power—but his recklessness turned into a witch hunt that destroyed lives and ultimately undermined the cause he was touting.

His popularity collapsed precipitously after an exchange during one hearing, where he accused U.S. Army attorney Joseph Welch of having a colleague with communist ties. In one of the most famous—and effective—retorts in political history, Welch said: "Until this moment, Senator, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness…Have you no sense of decency?"

The last sentence has become a common retort whenever one's political opponents become unhinged. It's one that sprung to mind as former President Donald Trump and his vice presidential pick, Sen. J.D. Vance (R–Ohio), have continued to repeat baseless claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. As Trump said during his debate with Vice President Kamala Harris: "They're eating the dogs, the people that came in, they're eating the cats."

Have you no decency, sir? Are there no limits........

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