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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Up to this point, Cruz was happy living as an ILLEGAL with "dual citizenship" but now that he knows – that we all know his dirty little secret, he suddenly wants to renounce his Canadian citizenship? Please.
Could it be that it has been racism all along for the reason they didn't believe/accept that our president was born here?
Go ahead and lie your way out of this. The FACT is Cruz has lived here with dual citizenships and now that he wants to "lead us" in the right direction, he's suddenly, for the first time in his life, PROUD to be an American? What took him so long?
The entire republican party is out of the closet now and there is no going back in.
He is a Republican so right on.We have enough Political Trash up here in Canada
Canda sent a letter of appreciation and a cash donation of the campaig fund
I would think that this moron's lack of intelligence would be a rather more significant issue than his country of birth. But, the republican party seems to have no problem offering up idiots as candidate, unfortunately, which continues to drive away many decent, middle-or-the-road voters who would love to have an intelligent and reasonable conservative candidate for whom to vote.
I remember the day, a few years back, when then-Senator Obama renounced his Kenyan citizenship, too.
I'm sure the Donald will cry foul about this. Right, Mr. Trump?
Isn't that the kettle calling the pot black. President Obama's mother was a U.S. citizen and Republicans were in an uproar because his father was from Kenya. Ted Cruz's father is Cuban, so what is the difference.
good riddance. he's the last thing we need in Canada anyways. We already have too many Conservatives as it is. Want any more of wingnuts?
In my opinion and yes we all have them it doesn't matter that he had dual citizenship nor should that prohibit any run or holding for public office. That said, it is utterly unbelievable that any person who has ever been born or lived in another country would not be aware of their legal and or citizenship status. Especially, someone who claims to be educated enough to represent Texans. So, if you really didn't have any idea you had dual citizenship how were you able to live in another country until you were four years old when you were born there? My children are well aware of the country and state they were born in if you're a U.S. Senator you shouldn't need the Dallas newspaper to figure out your dual citizenship status! Come on!
Cruz has acknowledged that there just isn't enough corruption for him to take advantage of in Canada.
LOL – funny.. if this was about Obama, you'd never hear the end of it from the Far Right. You'd see Internet memes, cartoons, bumper stickers, you name it.
Not so fast. I want to see your Birth Certificate Buddy. Isnt that what was done to Obama ?
Ah...no. If his Mom had been a US citizen living in Canada due to US gov't assignment then yes he would be a US citizen but even then when reassigned back to the US the US parent would have gone to the gov't to make it official and get a US birth certificate issued. However, she was just an ex-pat living overseas. I doubt he really has dual citizenship.... he's Canadian by birth...... not American at all. So how can he be a Senator without a US birth certificate? Let alone the "long form.".
I'm now a birther!
Oh, geez. This guy is a clown... renouncing his Canadian citizenship? Only the wackiest far right wing nut job would hold that against him. That's pathetic. What a panderer. If you're a reasonable Republican, you should be a little embarrassed.
Good riddance.
So this finally puts the Obama birtherism to rest, doesn't it? If being born in a foreign country to an American mother and a foreign father qualifies Cruz as a "natural born citizen," then the location of Obama's birth makes not one bit of difference.
Having said that, I think Cruz should run for Parliament so he could serve there and in the Senate at the same time.!
It doesn't matter what he does, because he was not born within the territorial claims of the United States, he can never serve as President.
so he was a canadian after all. I want to see his naturalization papers
This is BS He was Born in Canada.
But has he renounced his confederate citizenship?
Phew. I can finally sleep again now that that's done. .
So, if Cruz qualifies as an eligible POTUS candidate just because his mother is American, irrespective of where he was born, are the Birthers now implying Obama's mother wasn't an American? Methinks racism is brought into greater focus here.
Wow – a US Senator and he says " I believe I should be only an American". Is he not aware that Canada is part of North America? We are a country on a continent. I understand people in the US refer to themselves as "Americans", but if he's going to differentiate between US and Canadian citizenship, perhaps he should think his statement through a little better.
If we were to follow the Tea Party playbook they used against President Obama (Obama is a Kenyan Marxist because of his father), then that would make Ted Cruz a Cuban Communist because of his. Where is the Tea Party now??
Now, will Obama renounce his Indonesian citizenship? I mean Barry.