What are conflicting views of historians about McCarthyism?

The opinions of historians range from vindication to damaging when it comes to McCarthyism. While it is true that the Communist Party USA received a substantial amount of funding from the Soviet Union, the majority of historians do not think it justified the extent that McCarthyism went to with some even going so far as to say that McCarthyism was more damaging to the country than the Communist Party USA. On the other hand, there are also critics say that this knowledge justified McCarthyism.