It caused his political and social downfall, crushing any hope of winning further election or the presidency.
On December 2, 1954, the Senate voted to censure Senator McCarthy by a vote of 67–22, making him one of the few senators ever to be disciplined in this way.
The U.S. Senate votes 65 to 22 to condemn Senator Joseph R. McCarthy for a wrongdoing. The condemnation related to McCarthy’s controversial investigation of suspected communists in the U.S. government, military, and civilian society.