Jackie Kennedy's 'Affair' With Defense Secretary Robert McNamara Exposed in New Book
A new book has blown the lid off Jackie Kennedy's alleged affair with Robert McNamara.
Sept. 22 2025, Published 3:20 p.m. ET
While late President John F. Kennedy's affairs, including his fling with Marilyn Monroe, have long been common knowledge, a new book, Passion on the Potomac, has blown the lid off poised First Lady Jackie Kennedy's alleged affair with Defense Secretary Robert McNamara, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
For years, Jackie and McNamara shared a very close, eyebrow-raising bond, which saw them exchange flirty notes and Valentine's Day cards.
Jackie Danced With Sec. McNamara at White House Event
Jackie and McNamara first made headlines when they danced the twist at a White House dinner in 1962.
Jackie and McNamara first made headlines in 1962, a little over a year after her husband moved into the Oval Office, when the first lady and defense secretary reportedly danced the Twist at a White House party.
The first lady ended up partying with guests until the wee hours of the morning – and later sent McNamara a cheeky note about the dance they shared, which apparently stayed on her mind for days after the party.
Her "lighthearted valentine collage" included cutouts of Jackie and McNamara's faces, which she superimposed on photos of bodies dancing the twist, as well as newspaper clippings of reports on the pair dancing together.
Jackie Sent Valentine's Collage to McNamara
Jackie sent McNamara a flirty collage with newspaper clippings about them after their dance.
Around the same time, Jackie was said to have continued writing playful notes to McNamara and sent him photos of them together at the party.
Insiders claimed the relationship grew into something more than just an amicable friendship over time – and the alleged affair has been pieced together by Jackie and McNamara's own writings, as well as recollections from their inner circle.
Kennedy family friend Ben Bradlee recalled attending a White House dinner where Jackie told him she found McNamara attractive, before noting, "Men can’t understand his sex appeal."
McNamara Confessed to Spending the Night With Jackie
Kennedy family friends claimed Jackie confessed she found McNamara attractive.
Her sister, Lee Radziwill, claimed Jackie fell for the defense secretary because "he was very quick and very affectionate."
Years after Jackie left the White House following her husband's assassination, McNamara confided a dark secret about his time as Secretary of Defense to two individuals collaborating on a book about him.
McNamara claimed he spent the night with Jackie when he was defense secretary – and his wife was away traveling – at the first lady's family home in Newport, Rhode Island.
Despite the bombshell, he urged the author and publisher not to disclose the information in their book, saying: "I was, am close to Jackie. I am very fond of her. But I don't think that has to be part of the book."
Years after her husband's assassination, Jackie wrote to McNamara and said he would 'always be my shining knight.'
Some believed Jackie found comfort in McNamara due to her husband's extramarital affairs.
On Valentine's Day 1963, McNamara handcrafted Jackie a card complete with a heart and arrow drawing, which sources claimed she described as the "most marvelous" card she had ever been given.
When JFK was fatally shot with Jackie by his side in a motorcade in Dallas, McNamara rushed to be at the first lady's side – and she even requested he be with her while an autopsy was being performed on her dead husband.
While JFK's assassination ended Jackie's time as first lady, she continued to maintain a close relationship with the defense secretary for years.
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By the mid-1960s, McNamara was frequently making trips to visit Jackie in New York City, where they often enjoyed meals at fine dining restaurants.
Jackie and McNamara's alleged fling was said to cool after the pair clashed over the Vietnam War, but an emotional letter from the former first lady years later hinted a flame still burned for the ex-defense secretary.
She told McNamara in her letter: "You will always be my shining knight."
