A day after his arrival in San Francisco from Korea on 18 April 1951 , MacArthur had flown with his family to Washington , D.C. where he was scheduled to address a joint session of Congress . It was his and Jean 's first visit to the continental United States since 1937 , when they had been married ; Arthur IV , now aged 13 , had never been to the U.S. And , on April 19 , 1951 , MacArthur made his last official appearance in a farewell address to the U.S. Congress presenting and defending his side of his disagreement with Truman over the conduct of the Korean War . During his speech , he was interrupted by fifty ovations . MacArthur ended the address saying : MacArthur received public adulation , which aroused expectations that he would run for president , but he was not a candidate . MacArthur carried out a speaking tour in 1951 – 52 attacking the Truman administration for " appeasement in Asia " and for mismanaging the economy . Initially attracting large crowds , by early 1952 MacArthur 's speeches were attracting smaller and smaller numbers of people as many complained that MacArthur seemed more interested in settling scores with Truman and praising himself than in offering up a constructive vision for the nation . MacArthur felt uncomfortable campaigning for the Republican nomination , and hoped that at the Republican convention , a deadlock would ensue between Senator Robert Taft and General Eisenhower , which would end with the GOP nominating him as the best compromise . MacArthur 's unwillingness to campaign for the presidency seriously hurt his ability to win the nomination . In the end , MacArthur endorsed Senator Robert A. Taft , and was keynote speaker at the 1952 Republican National Convention . Taft lost the nomination to Eisenhower , who went on to win the 1952 election by a landslide . Once elected , Eisenhower consulted with MacArthur about ending the war in Korea
1952 Republican National Convention
1952 Republican National Convention
Douglas MacArthur