President Lyndon B. Johnson's Decision
President Johnson had insisted that the end of the war was “just around the corner.” Despite these reassurances, it became clear to the American public that the North Vietnamese were nowhere near defeat. Eventually, the public trust in the President was damaged beyond repair.
Because of much pressuring from the public, Johnson finally stated in a speech given on March 31, 1968 “I shall not seek - and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president”.
Because of much pressuring from the public, Johnson finally stated in a speech given on March 31, 1968 “I shall not seek - and I will not accept the nomination of my party for another term as your president”.
"On March 31, Johnson made his decision public. In a television address, he said that the bombing would stop as a gesture to persuade North Vietnam to begin peace talks to end the war. In a stunning closing, Johnson said that he would not run for reelection. Though the U.S. military might have won the overall battle of the Tet Offensive, the U.S. president had suffered a political defeat."
~The Tet Offensive: Turning Point of the Vietnam War
Dale Anderson
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President Johnson's TV statement.
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"I feel like a hitchhiker on a Texas highway in the middle of a hailstorm; I can't run, I can't hide, and I can't make it go away." |
"Our losses were staggering and a complete surprise. Giap later told me that Tet had been a military defeat, though we had gained the planned political advantages when Johnson agreed to negotiate and did not run for reelection. " |
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