The man who advised four presidents but secretly opposed the Vietnam War

Wars & Conflicts · Published 16 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Clark Clifford was the ultimate Washington insider, a trusted confidant to four Democratic presidents. Yet, while he publicly supported the escalation of the Vietnam War as Secretary of Defense, private records reveal he had been secretly opposed to the conflict since 1965. He was the ultimate architect of the establishment.

Clark Clifford was a cornerstone of the Democratic establishment during the Cold War. Serving as White House Counsel, Chairman of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, and Secretary of Defense, he was a constant presence for Truman, Kennedy, Johnson, and Carter. His influence was so profound that even when Jimmy Carter’s transition team explicitly stated they would not rely on him as a symbol of the 'establishment,' Carter ultimately did so anyway.

Clifford’s impact on American foreign policy was foundational. In 1946, he co-authored the top-secret Clifford-Elsey Report, which detailed Soviet treaty violations and was instrumental in shifting U.S. relations toward a harder line. He also successfully advocated for the 1948 recognition of the state of Israel. However, his relationship with Israel became complex during the 1967 Six-Day War.

Despite being a staunch supporter, Clifford was deeply skeptical of the Israeli government's explanation for the attack on the USS Liberty, eventually labeling it a 'flagrant act of gross negligence' and calling for the Israeli government to be held responsible. His tenure as Secretary of Defense (1968–1969) is often viewed through the lens of his public persona as a 'hawk.' While he publicly supported the administration's Vietnam policies, policy planning director Les Gelb noted in 2018 that Clifford had privately argued against escalation as early as 1965. Despite this private dissent, he maintained the management systems of his predecessor, Robert McNamara, while pushing for the Sentinel anti-ballistic missile system to encourage Soviet arms control talks, which eventually led to the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty.

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