Meter cover USA 1963

Manchurian candidat refers to an unsuspecting person, typically a soldier or political figure, who has been brainwashed and controlled by a hostile power to act as a secret assassin for that power s agenda.
The term originated from the 1959 novel and 1962 film, The Manchurian Candidate, which features a Korean War POW programmed by Communist forces to kill a political candidate. The phrase has become a popular metaphor for political manipulation and conspiracy theories, especially within the context of the Cold War.  ( Source AI )