Ted Cruz renounces Canadian citizenship in statement
(CNN) – Lest any questions remain about Sen. Ted Cruz's national allegiance, the Texas Republican announced Monday he was renouncing his Canadian citizenship.
Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, and over the weekend he released his birth certificate to put to rest any questions about his background. In an analysis, the Dallas Morning News speculated Cruz – considered a potential candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination – was a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.
"Because I was a U.S. citizen at birth, because I left Calgary when I was 4 and have lived my entire life since then in the U.S., and because I have never taken affirmative steps to claim Canadian citizenship, I assumed that was the end of the matter," Cruz wrote in his statement.
"Now the Dallas Morning News says that I may technically have dual citizenship. Assuming that is true, then sure, I will renounce any Canadian citizenship," he continued. "Nothing against Canada, but I'm an American by birth, and as a U.S. Senator, I believe I should be only an American."
As speculation ramps up about Cruz's political future, some have questioned his eligibility to become president. Most legal experts have said Cruz qualifies as a "natural born citizen," a requirement for the White House job, as stated in the Constitution.
In the Dallas Morning News Sunday, 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 newspaper.
The senator's office, however, said Cruz has never embraced his legal rights in Canada.
"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."
CNN's Jim Acosta, Ashley Killough and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- America's terrible, growing coronavirus death toll makes Trump accept reality March 30, 2020 01:28 pm
- Trump's path to extending coronavirus guidelines was led by health experts and the scenes at one New York hospital March 30, 2020 11:36 am
- Fauci says Trump 'got it right away' on data that suggested need to extend social distancing guidelines March 30, 2020 01:04 pm
- Exclusive: Justice reviews stock trades by lawmakers after coronavirus briefings March 30, 2020 02:22 pm
- Meadows to resign from Congress on Monday to officially start work as Trump's chief of staff March 30, 2020 03:13 pm
- Trump contradicts Pompeo by downplaying foreign coronavirus disinformation campaigns March 30, 2020 03:02 pm
Wait a minute..his father was not an American and he was born outside of America. Where are the birthers? Where is the republican outrage and challenges by Donald Trump? If his background id glossed over, ignored, or 'explaned away', I will know uninquivically that America is the most racest country on Earth
Let me guess, Donald Trump is now going to demand that the President renounces his Kenyan citizenship? These right wing nutjobs want you to believe that they have cornered the market on ethics and truth. Don't believe the hype! They're all in it for themselves, and are not the true patriots they keep telling each other they are.
His loss, not Canada's. Now we need Donald Trump to call him out if he runs for President.
His staff has uttered pure b.s. He was born there, hi is automatically a Canadian Citizen. I do not believe that he can renounce it.
Let's see if the tea baggers yell and scream that he's not a natural born American citizen.
It doesn't matter that Cruz is renouncing Canadian citizenship. According to the Supreme Court, the citizenship of a child naturally follows the citizenship status of the father. Like Obama, Cruz's father was not a U.S. citizen, thus neither he nor Obama qualify under the Supreme Court's interpretation, which cemented the definition of Article II eligibility, natural-born citizenship as "all children born in the country of parents who were its citizens."
His staff has uttered pure b.s. He was born there, he is automatically a Canadian Citizen. I do not believe that he can renounce it.
Obama: Born to a mother from Kansas and a father from Kenya in a Hawaiian hospital. Everybody is up in arms about his eligibility to run for office.
Cruz: Born to a mother from Delaware and a father from Cuba in Canada. Nobody bats an eye.
He just renounced the one thing that made him trustworthy.
And if he doesn't get elected then he can say it was just a joke, RIGHT?
Funny when things get close to being public, then all of a sudden the politicians have to do the right thing?
Now if he can just find a way to explain his father fighting for Communists ...
I'll accept Canadian citizenship. Very nice country.
I think I can pass up the dubious opportunity to be a Texas senator.
Hey, now I'm a traitor. Hahahahahahahaha.
Who cares? DUH!
I claim shotgun on his Canadian citizenship.
And so, all those that belittled the "birther" movement for Obama have become hypocrites.
This guy was not born in the United States therefor he can not become the President of the United States. Hopefully the Tea Party, and birthers jump on this just like they did the false claims of President Obama's citizenship.
Still NOT born here.
Isn't that what the TEA Party has had high on their priority list for six years?
Now suddenly, it doesn't matter.
Why the double standard?
Obama's mother was American so it doesn't matter where he was born?
What have these millions of birthers been harping about and how has the media not made clear what a hollow accusation that has been? What a travesty reporting on that story has been!
When you come here. Here is home. Ted is right. Hell if obama can get away with it why nit TED. Funny part is outsiders have more to offer us then nationals. so sad
ha wasn't born in an embassy or a military base. he was born in Canada. You can't renounce to your birthplace. You can take a new citizenship but you were still born in another place so you can't be President.
Just as the public tried to pull that birther routine on Pres. Obama why not Cruz. Oops he looks White. Just doing a little racial profiling.
Please...PLEASE run for President, so I can listen to Birther types say that this guy is a legit American citizen. I beg you, Mr. Cruz.
Poor Canada.
We won't hear a peep from the teabaggers about this foreign born politician. It doesn't matter, a Texan will have a nearly impossible time getting into the white house as anything more than a tourist.
Wow, lookie here lookie here...a Republican trying to deal with the ridiculous problems they created in the first place. How things come around when they go around.