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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Georg Romney was born in Mexico, Mitt Romney is the son of a native-born Mexican, John McCain was born on land the United States "leased" from another country. Orrin Hatch proposes legislation that would allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to run for President. I guess the Republicans have a problem finding native born American candidates.
it is as simple a matter of him renouncing his canadian citizenship and he's just fine. how ironic that none said the same of president obama even thouigh he was born in the u.s. to an american mother. it woul appear then that had he been anywhere other than thiscountry to an american mother he'd still be a "natural born citizen". oh, but he wasn't even worthy of such an argument and i attest the argument now on behalf of cruz. it is no doubt where he was born. birthers against cruz!!! yeah!!!
i guess the gop will not apply the same rules of citizenship to obama that cruz now claims is his rights.....both had merican born mothers but cruz was born in canada and obama born in america...who is more american one who was born in america or one who was born in canada??????
No problem...The US is welcome to this rightwing teaparty nut
Big deal, Canada. If it was Swiss like Bachmann holds
that would be more newsworthy, eh?
So he was born in Canada, but the teabaggers don't question his eligibility to run for President because his mother is a US citizen? Doesn't that make the whole Birthergate completely pointless? Even more pointless than it was? The ignorance and hypocrisy of these people is jaw-dropping.
"To our knowledge, he never had Canadian citizenship, so there is nothing to renounce."
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only in a typical limiting and selective Republican Teparty mind that this happened. Who cares what his spokeperson think. THAT IS NOT THE LAW HE Was born in a foreign soil he is NOT a citizen of the United States of America, Canada is not America which by the way was proclaimed CLEARLY by the war of 1812. So they don't conform to their birthers belief because he is white and he is on their side ha.
Only in America would someone having two citizenships be an issue...
How convenient.
He's still an extremist nut.
What comes around goes around.....where are the "birthers" now?
What about his Kenyan birth certificate? Seriously, as a proud Canadian all I can say is goodbye and good riddance. to our American friends – Good Luck. With people like Ted Cruz in your Senate, you're going to need it.
Are you guy's sure you don't want a Canadian in your Government, we seem to be getting along a little better? Why is this a issue that keeps coming up in American elections, is it such a rampant problem? let's say he is dual citizen... so what? and can someone tell me why your elections last everyday, all year, for years? like, I swear Obama just got re-elected, and you guy's and your media is already talking a 2016? how about focus on the here and now? Our elections last two months, and we never hear about it again (not even a peep) untill the next election years away. American election is like the show Big Brother...DRAMA!
What is the difference between what the "birthers" were saying about President Obama and the facts about where Cruz was born?
He became an American citizen by proxy. The fact is that his birth certificate is Canadian, meaning he's Canadian. He wasn't born in the States, he was born in Canada. Wasn't it the tea party that made a stink about Obama's place of birth? Sounds like karma to me!
Whatever. That doesn't change the fact that he wasn't born on U.S. soil, and is therefore ineligible to run for President.
Now that he has top notch congressional government health care, there is no reason to retain his Canadian citizenship. Now if only the rest of us could get access to the same care....
I’m sure Canada is relieved.
Wow! there is a controversy over his BC and he squashed it immediately by producing his.. Lets see all the rabid lefties who had no problem with Obama when he would not produce his trip over themselves now to become birthers themselves! It kills them to see a hispanic who is a conservative.
And yet not a single peep out of Birthers regarding this issue.
Only if someone is black and you disagree with his/her politics is it EVER an issue.
Come on, Birthers! If you're not racist, prove it! Renounce Ted Cruz's potential candidacy!
I don't believe it make him produce his birth certificate Donald !
So it is OK for Cruz to be born in Canada but it wouldn't have been OK if Obama had been born in Kenya? Is that because we like Canada better or that Cruz is whitish and Obama is blackish.
This is not a two-way street.
Looks like Donald Trump needs to hire some investigators to get to the bottom of this.
He is a citizen, get over it. Unlike the republicans, most people recognize truth when it's in front of them.
"i'm an American by birth." So sayeth the Canadian anchor baby.
Well I'm satisfied.