Speaking of Joe McCarthy, I’ve recently read a very good biography of the man:
“Joseph McCarthy : reexamining the life and legacy of America’s most hated senator”. A fairly written bio, it goes into detail about Truman’s indifference, and sometimes outright support, of communists and their sympathizers in powerful administrative offices. Something Joe worked hard to push back against.
Very possibly THE greatest disaster in US foreign affairs policy was made by Truman and his administration. It dwarfs Afghanistan to insignificance.
That is the abandonment of Chang Kai Shek and the Chinese nationalists to Mao just as WW2 ended and the USSR started flooding Mao with weapons and supplies (many weapons BTW captured from the Japanese).
China went overnight from a literal sworn ally (we had a mutual assistance pact if I recall) to a mortal enemy. Can you imagine the 50s-60s-70s-80s with a democratic/Republican BILLION strong ally in China?
Many people in his administration that worked with foreign affairs and the China fiasco were pointed at by McCarthy (and high up like Alger Hiss appointed Secretary General of the UN and Harry Hopkins WPA leader, Secretary General and advisor to the POTUS).