S8 Ep1094: Professor William Taubman, guest author, explains that LBJ deeply admired McNamara's efficiency, often summoning his family to th

The John Batchelor Show · Jul 6, 2026 · 9m

Professor William Taubman, guest author, explains that LBJ deeply admired McNamara's efficiency, often summoning his family to the White House for "barbecue" meetings or demanding his presence while swimming. During the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incidents, McNamara and Johnson withheld the full truth from Congress regarding the lack of evidence for a second attack, using the resulting resolution as a legal basis to expand the war. This lack of candor defined the early years of the conflict, as McNamara used his statistical prowess to build a case for victory that he privately began to question…