The Useful Idiots podcast lived up to the second half of its name on its June 23 episode hosted by Aaron Mate and Katie Helper. The episode also featured guests Aaron Good, host of the podcast American Exception and author of the same-name book, and David Talbot, a famous author and journalist.

Click here to read our critique of the opinions shared by the guests. Alternatively, continue reading for a snapshot of Aaron Mate’s problematic statements regarding the assassination of John F. Kennedy.

Mate’s Reading List: Sy Hersh and Noam Chomsky

Aaron Mate is not just an ordinary podcaster fascinated with the JFK assassination and our country’s murky 1960s in general. He’s a respected journalist and writer from Canada who had Kennedys and King’s respect right up until he said the following individuals informed his theories and opinions:

• Seymour Hersh of the recent Nord Stream “scoop.”
• Noam Chomsky, who’s convinced that the Warren Commission’s findings are the be-all and end-all of the JFK assassination.

As you’ll see, Mate’s misinformed reliance on these two individuals results in some of the falsest claims we’ve heard regarding the events surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

Mate’s Statements About the National Security Action Memoranda 263

For those who don’t know, the National Security Action Memoranda 263, or NSAM, was an important document issued by President Kennedy on October 11, 1963. It announced a shift in the US military presence in Vietnam, ordering the withdrawal of 1,000 personnel by the end of 1963.

In that unfortunate Useful Idiots episode, Aaron Mate supports Chomsky’s theory that this withdrawal had a catch: The 1,000 advisors would only withdraw if Saigon had the upper hand. This idea incorrectly suggests that Kennedy would’ve reversed the policy had he lived long enough to see the reverse happen.

Chomsky’s theory falls flat once you reread the NSAM. It stresses the importance of training and preparing the South Vietnamese military to fight and defend their land against the North-endorsed Viet Cong insurgence. Kennedy wouldn’t have made such a statement if he wanted his military to stay in South Vietnam.

Mate’s Support for a Debunked Chomsky Theory

Our knowledge of the JFK assassination changes with each declassification. However, it seems Aaron Mate is content to support an outdated theory from a book written before the Assassination Records Review Board findings went public with the documents related to the Vietnam War.

The documents contained the phased exit strategy of the US troops from Vietnam, which was to be completed by 1965. The documents indicate an unconditional withdrawal, with no hint of an escalation if the tide turned against South Vietnam.

Explore Possible Motives Behind the JFK Assassination Online

President Kennedy accepted that his military’s efforts in South Vietnam were largely futile. No stipulations or conditions were attached to his exit strategy and no ifs and/or buts regarding his final orders regarding the Vietnam War.

The same cannot be said for his assassination, which remains the largest cover-up in the history of American politics. Learn what you can do to disclose the truth behind the JFK assassination.

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