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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Let me see. US has record debt, record unemployment, record rich/poor gap, highest murder and violence rates of any industrialized country, some schools are having their first mixed graduations. From what I hear Canada has a strong economy, minimal violence and not the number of poor and uneducated as the US. Oh yeah, we also have Detroit. Maybe he should reconsider his decision.
Didn't he just deny he was a Canadian citizen?
Born and lived in Canada till 4 years old but not Canadian. No worries as a Canadian we don't won't you either. You where no more American as you where Cuban , such a politian choosing what works for you at this time.
Cruz, born of an American mother and a foreign national father outside of the USA = American citizen.
Obama, born of an American mother and a foreign national father purportedly in Kenya = ineligible usurper.
Does the GOP not see the holes in their logic? How do you deal with the cognitive dissonance from day to day?
Cruz the "Anchor Baby"!?!?!
Oh, this is just so bloody ironic, isn't it Donald Trump.
As long as he hates the requisite groups and customs, I don't care where he is from.
As a Canadian this is good news for my country.
So yeah the whole Obama birther thing made up by a bunch of idiots, but can't find any of those people coming out about this guy? The GOP is full of idiots...few more years left before that political party doesn't exist anymore and what a happy day THAT will be.
He has no one on his staff qualified to do this research? So he goes with whatever a newspaper says?
At least he showed his real birth certificate right up front!!! And he probably won't pay millions to have his school records sealed or have some billionaire pay to have them sealed.
Child this man will never be the leader of this country. I wonder who told hem that he could.
@Donkey party
I was going to say the same exact thing. Since he is a republican in Texas, and looks like a white guy, we won't hear a peep out of the Birthers.
Funny stuff here...A Canadian in the White House...sounds like the early part of 1812 :p
If it was that easy for him to renounce allegiance to the country of his birth, wonder how difficult it is for him to renounce allegiance to the country that he adopted. What say America?
@couyon
Yea, some Canadians read that on the internet somewhere and say it every chance they get like it is fact. I will take the opportunity to say that there are a lot of illegal Canadians in the US, who are from "Wisconsin" to explain their accent. And 75% of the Canadian population lives along the US border. But you just keep hanging onto that little patch fact if it makes you feel better.
The hypocrisy and racism is killing me inside.,,,,
How did Canada get so lucky?
I don't think Canada would want Ted Cruz as a politician let alone as a citizen. I'm sure they'd be happy to accept his renouncement.
You can have him, we don't want him!!!!
How can Cruz have an American mother and a Cuban father and be born in Canada and qualify for the office of President. Obama has an American mother and a Kenyan father. If indeed he was born outside of the U.S. as you alledge, wouldn't he have the same situation as Cruz?
He was born in Cuba. Check out his birth certificate.
The most dangerous person in Congress today. A demagogue and phony ideologue with out-sized ambition.
This guy does not have the qualifications to be a president. I am Texan-Republican, and I will not vote for him, period.
I have some questions for Rafael Ted Cruz:
1. Why did you hold your Canadian citizenship up to now?
2. What hold you back not to do so in some years back (not renouncing it)?
3. Why shouldn't all Americans think you don't have the country at heart since you didn't know where you belong?
4. If you were not thinking to run for President, did you think to continue having dual citizenship?
5. Have you written any book to let people know who you are, where your born? and why should they let you become
a leader?