McCarthyism

McCarthyism is when a person or group uses false or unfair accusations against someone to try to ruin their reputation. During the time of McCarthyism in America in the 1950s, a Senator named Joseph McCarthy claimed that a lot of people, especially in government, were communist spies who wanted to hurt the United States. But he didn't have any evidence to back up his accusation, so he attacked the people and said they were spies to make them look bad and ruin their reputations.