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.
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A republican dealing with his own birth issues...how ironic.
I am not sure who these “SO Called Legal Experts are” but to the best of my knowledge you have to be BORN ON US Territory to run for office in USA. It’s funny how they want to change the rules for this guy since he is White and Republican but when it came to our President Obama they humiliated him for years and some still do not even excepting his Birth Certificate as real even though Republicans have been able to go to Hawaii and verify it’s real !
Hey, i wasn't really a citizen to begin with but i want to be POTUS so anything goes. I will renounce my mother if i thought that can help me.
go away! you BORN in Canada PERIOD! Only american people who BORN in USA is allowing to run for president!
Please, Canada – take him back!!!!!!!!!
Now this one WAS actually born outside of the US....so when is Trump going haywire on this?
Anyone born in Canada is a Canadian citizen, regardless of where their parents are from, or how long they were in Canada, that said if hes a Republican....you can have him.
Don't do it! Dual citizenship will be an asset later in life. One day you might need to live in Canada.
Too bad. You represent the Tea Party, Cruz, and the Tea Party has stated in no uncertain terms that you have to either be born on US soil (even if that soil is a military base overseas) or have both parents as US citizens in order to be considered a "natural-born" citizen and be qualified to run for POTUS.
Of course, your party is the party of racist hypocrites, so they will probably support you anyways.
hahah was he one of the Republicans trying to bash Obama about where he was born? He cant run for president he was born in Canada
Excellent news! The fewer right wing I'm Christian in name only goofs we have up here the better. Next election the Liberals (democrats) are going to wipe them out up here too and return them to Sunday morning TV where they belong..
So if i was born in Mexico to a U.S. Citizen parent and came here at a young age i can become president too? lol this guys to funny
I want to see his mother's birth certificate – #eatthiscomabirthers!
As Trump Said, If You Weren't Born In Thus Country You Can't Be President.
This is so amusing. I really am going to like to read and hear how conservatives are going to explain this guy's birth to themselves and the rest of us. He is the definition of the birther issue.
Let the BS begin.
Um, no Ted, by definition you're a Canadian citizen, and no amount of "No I'm not!" will change that.
Are the radical Tea Party'ers going to make a big thing about his birth certificate, etc. like the did for Obama? Suppose not. He is after all a good loyal Republican. But a Cuban father? Born in Canada? And he's a Texican? Got to be some deep questions there about his loyalties! Maybe he's a good Communist too! Do some digging into his past. There has to be some more fuel for the fires of controversy, Besides, he's from Texas. Haven't they had a big enough bite f the Presidential apple recently (12 years)? The Red party would be better off with one of those really great women candidates they have trotted out in the last couple of cycles. You remember, the non-electable digbats from Alaska and Minnesota! In any event, for me if there is an (R) by their name on the ballot, my vote will go elsewhere!
Wow – talk about Tea party birther movement – wonder what they will say about Ted Cruz now. Obama was born to American Mother and a Kenyan father, in Hawaii, US. Ted Cruz wasn;t even born in the US !!
Republicans are a disease to the U.S. and Texas . Cruz is trying to ruin healthcare to protect the rich from paying more taxes . In parts oc Texas they're turning roads back to gravel because the trucks that use them are tearing up the road . Those same trucksare owned by oil ccompanies making huge profits but they can't find a way to tax them . Republicans ... who needs 'em .
His birth certificate is a fake!!! LOL See how silly that sounds?
Donald Trump and Rush Limbaugh, as well as a host of GOP players all should have some interesting comments on this.
Ok......why is it that Ted Cruz, who was born in Canada to an american mother and a cuban father can considers himself an "American citizen by birth"and I'm sure none of his supporters have a problem with that....but I'm willing to bet those same supports who believe totally that Barack Obama was born in Kenya to an american mother and a Kenyan father doubt the President's citizenship?
Don't even give half a chance...
I see, born in Canada so has Canadian citizenship. Born to an American woman so has US citizenship. Born to a Cuban father so....isn't that the one he would be most keen to drop?
As a Canadian I find it odd that having two citizenships is in any way a liability.