Americans had mixed feelings about the raids. In the
beginning, the majority
supported Palmer's actions and some even took part in
getting rid of the socialists. The
media played a big part during this time by
influencing the opinions of the American
public. The media portrayed socialists as savages who
were planning to overthrow the
government. The opinions of some changed when
powerful figures disagreed with the
actions of Palmer. Louis Post, Assistant Secretary of
Labor, was one of the powerful
figures that showed his disapproval of Palmer's
actions. He showed his disapproval by
throwing out the cases of Palmer after reviewing them.
Palmer was angered by the action
of Post and claimed that Post was trying to divert the
public's attention from his failure to
perform his tasks. Palmer was too late in trying to
persuade the public to see things his
way. The public was finally able to see the real
intentions of Palmer which was to win the
favor of the American public by taking action so that
he would be the president.