How did the Eisenhower administration react to Joseph McCarthy?

The Eisenhower administration did not encourage Joseph McCarthy,
but they did not really forcefully go against him until he started to weaken himself by
overreaching in his drive to "expose" communists in the
government.

Eisenhower, personally, had little respect for McCarthy
or for his tactics. However, Eisenhower knew that, early in his time in office, he needed the
support of people who approved of McCarthy. This meant that Eisenhower could not afford to
alienate them by opposing McCarthy openly.

So, Eisenhower's
administration pretty much played along with McCarthy, not opposing him in any open way. Later
on, though, they did not do anything to defend him as he lost credibility and had his career
destroyed by the "Army-McCarthy hearings."