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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Can't we renounce him too? We don't want him either. Where is Donald the combover kid ranting and raving about this after he spent 4yrs trying to oust the president over the SAME issue? What BIG hypocrites the GOP and TP (also could stand for toilet paper) parties are. C'mon....waiting to hear all the right wingnuts start screaming about him not being eligible to run for president. (like he'd have a snowballs chance in hell anyway)
D Kroupa
Having raised 3 foster children, I have seen where the first 4 years are the most influential on a person's identity. Cruz was raised in a socialist setting, and yet he can't find the words to renounce his socialist past, because of this.
Good point, D Kroupa! I'm sure his political awareness and education was complete by the time Sen. Cruz was four!
Republicans have egg on their faces again. Now suddenly having an American mother is plenty enough to be considered a red-blooded natural-born American citizen? Republican racists just can't seem to stop self-pwning themselves.
How convenient..
"Cruz probably consulted with Palin and Ailles prior to making this decision. Does he or has he ever held a Canadian passport? This question hasn't been answered. If he has two passports, then he's a dual national."
Yes, that question has been answered and the answer is that, no, he does not have and has never had a Canadian passport. Furthermore, holding two passports is not a requirement for being a dual citizen. Assuming Canada's citizenship laws made Cruz a citizen at birth (which reports indicate that they do,) then Cruz was (at least) a dual-citizen at birth. I'm not sure about Cuba's citizenship laws or if his father had renounced Cuban citizenship prior to Cruz's birth. If he had not done so and Cuba has similar citizenship laws as the U.S., Cruz would also be a Cuban citizen at birth, though, like I said, I'm not sure where this is the case or not.
R
Actually, being born to a US parent DOES automatically make you a US citizen by birth. There is no "application" to actually become a citizen, nor is it difficult. You are applying to get paperwork (which serves as your birth certificate) that certifies that fact. The only thing needed is proof that the parent is a US citizen. I know because I was born outside of the states to an American parent and so was my first child.
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As long as you and your child were born on a U.S. Military installation or some other U.S. facility, neither of you are eligible to become President. My husband was born in Switzerland to a Swiss woman and an American GI stationed in Germany. Had he been born at a U.S. Army hospital in Germany instead of his mom's home country he would have been eligible to run for POTUS. HOWEVER, despite the fact that he received American citizenship at birth and spent 24 years serving in the U.S. military he isn't eligible to be POTUS based on his place of birth.
Malory Archer
As long as you and your child were born on a U.S. Military installation or some other U.S. facility....
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That should read UNLESS you and your child were born on a U.S. Military installation or some other U.S. facility....
He should keep the dual citizenship, especially if he gets elected. It's time to bring Canada into the fold and share our misfortunes with them.
vbscript2
"No such thing as liberal birthers. It's called satire.
They're mocking Obama birthers. The right always takes all remarks way too seriously. Humor is wasted on the right."
Nah, it's just that leftists aren't nearly as funny as they think they are.
Rudy is correct. We are mocking you and for some reason you just don't see it. Your apparent lack of awareness just adds to the fun 🙂
@jardary:
The problem is that dual citizenship implies dual loyalties. This is especially a problem for a Tea Partier like Cruz, because of Canada's socialization. One man cannot serve two masters.
The million who do not have access via regular medical care with insurance need to remember what Texas Republican Gov. Perry didn't do to change their situation and what Ted Cruz would do. That is, when and if they go to vote. The nation is on the way to helping citizen obtain health insurance and that will lead to a more healthy population that can be better workers and more productive overall. Their children will have the benefit of medical care growing up.
Part of the funding for the subsidies will come from cutting some of the excess contributions to Medicare Supplemental down towards what goes to traditional Medicare.
Threating to shut down the government to prevent financing Obamacare is particular obnoxious.
The poster boy of how the GOP has lost touch with America.
Because of this uproar and Republican hypocrisy, he wouldnt even make it to the first primary. The Reps cant afford more of this nonsense. They have way too many problems to have this piled on top. So what's his campaign song going to be? South Park's "Blame Canada"?
As long as you and your child were born on a U.S. Military installation or some other U.S. facility....
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That should read UNLESS you and your child were born on a U.S. Military installation or some other U.S. facility....
That "birth certificate" he provided is a forgery and needs to be investigated. where is the Donald when we need him?
It's really time to reconsider this "natural born citizen" requirement to serve as President. It's the only office to have such a requirement. The fact that there has been endless nitpicking about whether having an American parent alone makes you natural-born or whether you have to have been born on Americal soil shows that this particular part of the law has become a farce. Who the heck cares whether you were born outside the US or even whether you became a citizen sometime after birth? I'd agree that holding only US citizenship is a good requirement for those seeking to serve at the highest levels (and I say that as a dual citizen myself–born a US citizen, acquired Canadian citizenship as an adult) but people turning backflips to try to "prove" Obama was born in Kenya or lookiing for ulterior motives in Ted Cruz's "failure to renounce his Canadian citizenship" is just ridiculous. Why couldn't a naturalized citizen serve as President? Are they somehow lesser citizens? .I care much more about where any given candidate stands on the issues than on the vagaries of where precisely he or she happened to be born.
Damm foreigners can't be President!!.....sound familiar?lmfao
The hypocrisy of the Republican party is laughable
Matilda the Hun
Why couldn't a naturalized citizen serve as President? Are they somehow lesser citizens?
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Because the United States Constitution says they can't.
I don't know what the fuss is all about. There are two way of getting US citizenship. 1. You are born with it; or 2. You go through the process of Naturalization to obtain it. Seems to me Cruz got his via #1. Case closed.
If Cruz wants to run for president, he should (and it appears he already has) renounce other citizenship (possible Cuban or Canadian). And for those who keep arguing: Must be born in the US! PLEASE, cite the Law or even a case law that spells out a person must be born on US soil//territory to run for the Pres. Otherwise, it's just your meaningless opinion.
The evil Canadian plan is almost complete...
1814: Occupy and burn the White House....Check
2016: Occupy and run the White House.....
Matilda, because the Constitution says so.
So I wonder if his Father, the Cuban, ever got US citizenship status, or if that was done just recently to pander to Ted Cruz's political aspirations? Were his parents working as migrant workers in Canada - what is the reason they fled to Canada? Could his father have been trying to avoid the draft? Why were they there?
Canada rejoices! Notice that he did not say anything about renouncing his Cuban citizenship. Like all good republicans, he retains his communist pamper-the-rulers mindset.
Maybe he should hang on to his Canadian citizenship so he can run for Parliament some day.......he's not likely to win anymore elections here in the U.S.