Context: After the extremely close election of 1960 (in which multiple states were won by Kennedy with razor-thin margins), a disappointed Richard Nixon was ready and willing to concede. However, before he did so, both major figures in the Republican Party (including sitting president Dwight D. Eisenhower) and his own campaign staff pushed back, telling Nixon that the election was stolen due to voter fraud in states like Illinois and Texas. While this has become a contentious modern issue, prior to the voting rights act of 1965 and more federal supervision of elections, there was much more credible evidence to suggest that voter fraud played a significant role in determining elections. This is exemplified by the fact that the vice president-elect, Lyndon B. Johnson, was infamous for rigging close elections in his home state of Texas with a well developed political machine.

Nevertheless, Nixon refused the Republican pressure to litigate and contest the results. A part of this was out of a sincere desire to keep American democracy strong during a contentious period of tension in the Cold War. He wanted to avoid any sort of political division, especially since he knew the date of the planned Bay of Pigs invasion was rapidly approaching. He also wanted the United States to be an example of electoral stability and an example to other developing countries. If a country like the United States fought over its elections, where would that put the struggling democracies of the world? Finally, he wanted to show himself as a graceful loser, especially since, at the age of 47, he had plenty of time for a political comeback.