AI version:
Historian Ken Hughes from the Miller Center has used newly unclassified historical evidence and secret White House recordings to reveal President John F. Kennedy's direct, hidden role in the 1963 coup against South Vietnamese President Ngô Đěnh Diệm.Key
Research Findings
The Green Light: Newly examined audio recordings show that JFK gave U.S. Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. a functional "green light" to move forward with replacing Diệm, challenging the long-held myth that Lodge acted entirely on his own.
Outcome: The tapes and documentation indicate that while the Kennedy administration did not explicitly order an execution, Washington officials and JFK were well aware that a military coup could result in the assassination of Diệm and his brother.
Political Motives: Hughes's research highlights that Kennedy’s primary objective in backing a change in leadership was to secure a stable pro-American government and avoid losing Vietnam ahead of the 1964 presidential election.
