Like the bomber gap of only a few years earlier, it was later demonstrated that the gap was known to be illusory from the start, and was being used solely as a political tool, an example of policy by press release.
Like the bomber gap of only a few years earlier, it was soon demonstrated that the gap was entirely fictional. There has been some speculation that he was aware of the illusory nature of the missile gap from the start, and was using it solely as a political tool, an example of policy by press release.