2. What was McCarthy afraid of?

McCarthyism is the practice of making accusations of subversion or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term refers to U. S. senator Joseph McCarthy (R-Wisconsin) and has its origins in the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting from the late 1940s through the 1950s.

From 1950 onward, McCarthy continued to exploit the fear of Communism and to press his accusations that the government was failing to deal with Communism within its ranks.