During the Vietnam War, actress Jane Fonda traveled to Asia, where she was photographed with U.S. adversaries, sparking widespread criticism. Although she later clarified that she had no ill intent, many perceived her actions as betrayal, and her reputation suffered as a result. While no formal charges were ever filed against her, her protest against America’s involvement in the war led to accusations of treason.
Recently, former Trump White House advisor Stephen Miller resurfaced the controversy during a Fox News segment, accusing the two-time Academy Award-winning actress of committing “high treason” for her 1972 visit to Vietnam. Miller highlighted how Fonda appeared on a Vietnamese radio program condemning U.S. involvement in the war and was photographed sitting on an anti-aircraft gun, the same type used to target American pilots.
Fonda has recently returned to public attention through her activism, including protests against Trump-era policies, during which she was arrested at least once. She has also been vocal in urging President Joe Biden to overturn Trump’s pipeline initiatives—something Miller opposes, using Fox News as a platform to criticize her.
“What she did in the Vietnam War… people may have forgotten this,” Miller stated. “She volunteered herself as a tool of North Vietnamese Communist propaganda… This is by any definition, and I am going to use the word, what she did is treason.”
Fonda previously apologized to American veterans for the infamous “Hanoi Jane” photograph but has stood by her anti-war activism. In a 1988 interview with Barbara Walters, she expressed regret for how her actions may have hurt veterans, stating, “I was trying to help end the killing and the war, but there were times when I was thoughtless and careless about it, and I’m very sorry that I hurt them.”