Ted Cruz releases birth certificate
(CNN) - As Ted Cruz's profile has skyrocketed in the last year–thanks to his election to the U.S. Senate and an attention-grabbing itinerary to early presidential voting states–the Texas Republican's eligibility for president has come under question.
Born in Canada to a U.S. mother and a Cuban father, most legal experts have said Cruz qualifies as a "natural-born citizen," a requirement for the White House job, as stated in the Constitution.
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And Cruz seems to agree. He told ABC News in July that he's not "going to engage in a legal debate."
"The facts are clear," he continued. "I can tell you where I was born and who my parents were. And then as a legal matter, others can worry about that. I'm not going to engage."
But he will release his birth certificate. In fact, he already has.
The Dallas Morning News ran a story late Sunday analyzing Cruz's documents, which he released to the newspaper on Friday.
Legal experts told the paper that Cruz is not only eligible for president in the United States, he's also technically a Canadian citizen and can even run for Parliament. Unless he renounces his citizenship there, he could also obtain a Canadian passport, according to the Dallas Morning News.
The senator's office, however, said Cruz has never embraced his legal rights in Canada, a country that he left when he was four.
"Senator Cruz became a U.S. citizen at birth, and he never had to go through a naturalization process after birth to become a U.S. citizen," spokeswoman Catherine Frazier told the newspaper. "To our knowledge, he never had Canadian citizenship, so there is nothing to renounce."
The recent debate has invoked the controversial "birther" movement that questioned President Barack Obama's eligibility for president. He put the issue to rest in 2011 when he released his long-form birth certificate proving he was born in Hawaii–though a small amount of conspiracists still maintain doubt about the president's place of birth.
Cruz will attend a GOP fundraiser in New Hampshire on Friday. Earlier this summer, he traveled to Iowa twice and stopped in South Carolina in May. All three states typically hold the first three contests in the presidential primary process.
- CNN's Z. Byron Wolf contributed to this report.
Cruz is not a US citizen. His dad supported Castro and is a communist and Cruz is also a communist.
I don't think he is qualified by birth, or does he have the right sense to be President . No matter how bad Obama bungles things, I dont think the united States would ever elect this guy
Using every argument birthers used against Obama, Cruz is ineligible to be president. One assertion was that even though Obama's mother was American, since he was born in Kenya he was not a "natural born" citizen. They even asserted that in the case he was born in the U.S., the fact that his father was Kenyan meant Obama was also, i.e., it didn't count that the mother was American, and the birthplace was in the U.S. it was the father's nationality that determined citizenship. If the birthers are to have any credibility they need to seriously and vehemently question Cruz's credentials. If they don't, then the basis of their entire argument was hatred for a man of color in the White House. If they don't go after Cruz as vigorously as they did Obama, the birther argument can only be understood as a red herring, a sham, to mask their deep racial hatred.
What will Donald Trump think?
The birth certificate is fake, but I say, if we elect him, then he'll be president. He won't be nominated, let alone elected.
I believe the same as Chuckie. If Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen and not eligible to President, then the same applies to Curz. Cruz is not qualified to be President. What is good for the goose is good for the gander!
@Rudy,
The Cruz camp is attempting an historical rewrite, folks. He's not a "natural born citizen" unless you change the traditionally accepted definition. Under U.S. law, Cruz is a "natural born Canadian." Don't think so? Go ask the "anchor baby" crowd
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You keep mentioning "traditionally accepted defintion". That is NOT the issue. The issue is not what is traditional, the issue is what is LEGAL. The Supreme Court is the only function that can solve this once and for all.
Let me answer before it is even asked. I thought the birthers were wrong from the start! This issue with Cruz is proving them to be hypocritical! So now there is no need to ask. "Where were you when....?" I just answered it!
karma truly is a wheel.
It won't be an issue at all unless... the Trump decides to run for president.
Foreign dude is foreign. Besides he is probably another fake conservative anyway.
The guy is not qualified, period. Doesn't matter where he was born.
"To our knowledge, he never had Canadian citizenship" – he absolutely has Canadian citizenship. Just because he doesn't have an active passport, they can't claim he wasn't Canadian. Canada has birthright citizenship as the USA does.
If you want to continue this argument to the extreme then you could also argue that birth by cesarean section is not a "natural born person". This has actually been debated in some foreign countries regarding succession. Personally I do not like him either as a person or his views, but give this technicality a break.
That's not his real birth certificate! More dirty Republican shenanigans!
He's still a zipperhead.
The first "birther" was Hillary Clinton, who questioned Obama' legitimacy in 2008. Libs seem to forget that. They also claimed John McCain was not a natural born citizen because he was born in the Panama Canal Zone (to US parents).
@money talks, it doesn't matter what his momma did. He was born in Canada and they lived there until he was four years old.
He is Canadian born, raised and please take him back Canada!
Excellent analysis by Chuckie, but it's doubtful that it will be understood or accepted by the birthers
It will be interesting to see if Birthers go after him, since this situation IS the argument they falsely made against President Obama. Somehow, I doubt it...lol...ooooh America.
I hope (for your sake) Senator Cruz is better informed than his spokeswoman who has no understanding of Canadian citizenship laws.
By Canadian law any person born on Canadian soil (the only exception being progeny of diplomats and similar foreign service representatives of other countries stationed in Canada) is a Canadian citizen. Since Canada accepts multiple citizenship, it is indifferent whether Mr. Cruz is also a US citizen. On the other hand, isn't it a US law (though not enforced) that at 18 a choice must be made with US citizenship retained only if all others are renounced (I'm not sure whether I remember this correctly, or if I do, whether the law is still in force)?
So unless Mr. Cruz has renounced his Canadian citizenship (and based on the article he hasn't) ... he is a) a Canadian citizen and b) may have forfeited his US citizenship at age 18.
What a bunch of buffoons on this web site. Easy question to all the bho supporters out there: Just how much paperwork concerning his past, as well as moochells past, has the nit wit in charge, let out for perusal? The only thing he put out was a "Questionable" birth certificate! I don't know much about Cruz, but at least his whole past is open to all of us. That way everyone can make up their own mind.
To be honest he is not eligible to be P.O.T.U.S. and I will tell you why.One he was born out of america and not on a united states consulate or military post.Two he has dual citizenship which is a no go as far as the presidency goes.Whether I find the man to be qualified or not means nothing.It is merely my own opinion,But I do not personally think he is eligible.
keep in mind the "birthers" were started by Mrs. Clinton and her posse 🙂
Born in Canada. This shouldn't even be a debate.
"Legal experts," means professional liars, not even joking. Its literally a profession where the truth doesn't matter, its who argues best.
All – He released his birth certificate when asked – Obama waited years – hense the concerns of truth.