Which historical figure was primarily associated with the accusation of communists within the US government during McCarthyism?

The historical figure primarily associated with the accusation of communists within the US government during McCarthyism is Joseph McCarthy. He was a U.S. Senator from Wisconsin who gained national prominence in the early 1950s, particularly during the Red Scare, by making unsubstantiated claims that large numbers of communists and Soviet spies had infiltrated the federal government and other institutions.

McCarthy's aggressive tactics, often characterized by intimidation and baseless allegations, contributed to a climate of fear and suspicion in America, leading to many careers and lives being ruined by the accusations he made. His actions defined the period known as McCarthyism, which was marked by a widespread anti-communist sentiment and the violation of civil liberties.

In contrast, while figures like Richard Nixon, Harry Truman, and Dwight D. Eisenhower played significant roles in shaping U.S. policies during the Cold War era, they were not the focal points of the anti-communist fervor that McCarthy engineered. Thus, Joseph McCarthy stands out as the key figure in the context of this specific question about accusations of communism in the government.