 What shocked and dismayed the American public was the realization that either it had been lied to or that the American military command had been dangerously overoptimistic in its appraisal of the situation in Vietnam.The public could not understand how such an attack was possible after being told for several years that victory was just around the corner.The Tet Offensive came to embody the growing credibility gap at the heart of U.S. government statements.