Legal Document/Speech

As the transcript of a hearing, this text is hard to classify. No one had this thing scripted beforehand with everyone hitting their marks. McCarthy fell into a trap Welch didn't even intend to set. Everything is very free-flowing. It's not quite a conversation, and there are some parliamentary flourishes and interruptions.

This was largely a spontaneous moment in American discourse, but you could easily make the argument that it was in the works since McCarthy's Wheeling speech.

How it Breaks Down

Who Is On Trial Here?

McCarthy objects to the idea that Stevens is speaking for the Army. He's just speaking for the Communists that McCarthy wants to root out.

What Cohn Said

Jenkins questions Adams on exactly what Cohn said. Whether or not he cursed, and how abusive he was when asking for special treatment for Schine.

Cohn vs. Welch

Welch takes over, turning the conversation to exactly how many Communists are hiding in these defense plants, pointing out that if this information is true, they should act on it before sundown. He's really making fun of the idea that Cohn has this information at all.

McCarthy Steps In

With Cohn falling apart in front of Welch, McCarthy does what he does best: smear an unrelated party with charges of Communism. Welch hits him with "at long last, have you no sense of decency," and like a magician, makes McCarthy's political career disappear.