The Red smear in the cartoon symbolized false accusations that communists infiltrated the U.S government.
Throughout the 1940s and 1950s America was overwhelmed with concerns about the threat of communism increasing in Eastern Europe and China. Capitalizing on those concerns Joseph McCarthy, a youn senator, made a public accusation that more than two hundred “card-carrying” communists had infiltrated the United States government. However, eventually his accusations were proven to be untrue.