Jerry Duncan was a Republican US Congressman from Indiana. A member of the conservative wing of the GOP, Duncan had opposed President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal, and had been isolationist until Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. After World War II ended, Duncan became one of the critical Congressional leaders in calling for an end to the occupation of Germany. In the aftermath of the first protest organized by McGraw in Indianpolis, Duncan brought the concerns McGraw had raised to the House floor. He was met with sharp criticism and conflict, in part led by Sam Rayburn (D-Texas).