If the player physically contacts an enemy from behind (indicated by a translucent green swirl which fills the screen), the player is given a first-strike priority.
When the temptation of a potential first-strike victory is present, an unstable president might not need a severe provocation to push the big red button.
It's a telling stat, because this match was very much about first-strike tennis, going for the angles and leaving the court open for the counterpunch winner.