S8 Ep1094: Professor William Taubman, guest author, recounts how the assassination of JFK forged a deep, "opaque" bond between McNamara and

The John Batchelor Show · Jul 6, 2026 · 8m

Professor William Taubman, guest author, recounts how the assassination of JFK forged a deep, "opaque" bond between McNamara and Jackie Kennedy, as he spent the night following the murder sitting at her feet while she recounted the tragedy. Despite his grief, he immediately transitioned to serving Lyndon Johnson, who relied on McNamara's "tone for action" to justify the escalation of the Vietnam War. McNamara became the fiercest public advocate for the war, often suppressing his own growing doubts to please a commander who, unlike Kennedy, did not tolerate dissent. McNamara at War: A New…