How did the Tet Offensive change public opinion in the United States?

The Tet Offensive, launched in early 1968, served as a major turning point in American public opinion regarding the Vietnam War. Although the offensive was a tactical military defeat for North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces, it delivered a profound psychological blow to the United States.12

The offensive shattered the perception that victory was near, which had been fostered by the administration's previous claims. Extensive and graphic television coverage of the fighting in cities like Saigon and Hue left many Americans with the impression that the U.S. was in desperate straits. Public skepticism deepened significantly following reports that Gen. William C. Westmoreland had requested 206,000 additional troops, which was widely interpreted as evidence that the situation was dire and that the war could not be won at a bearable price.312

Ultimately, the offensive galvanized opposition to the war, pressured the Lyndon B. Johnson administration, and became a central issue in the 1968 presidential election, eventually leading President Johnson to decline seeking renomination.12