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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Now, is he a Texas secessionist?
I'm trying hard to care but Family Guy is on.
OK, Obama wannabe
Doesn't matter...Can't beat Hillary Clinton.
Ok I'm confused.........Ted Cruz was born to an American mother and Cuban father in Canada and he says he's an American citizen by birth.....if that's the case then even if President Obama was born in Kenya to an American woman and a Kenyan man, wouldn't that also make President Obama and American citizen by birth?.... come on birthers, how will you answer that question.
Funny none of the birthers ever questioned whether Obama's mother was American....oh right, that movement was just about being bigots.
Hold on a minute you where not born in the US and you dad was not a US Citizen your not a true American and birthers should be all over this because at least Obama was born in the US and you can't have it both ways.
keep him, and justin bieber too
Sooooo birthers, any problems with this? Here's your chance to prove it was nothing personal with President Obama and you really aren't a bunch of racists.
Maybe the birth certificate is a fake... I wonder why the GOP is keeping quiet about him..
How does he expect to run for president if he was born in Canada? I guess they'll make an exception like Senator McCain who was born in panama, but heaven forbid that obama ran for president from his home land of Ken-waii-donesia.
I am not sure I understand why he felt this was necessary? Are Canada and the US not two pretty friendly countries with similar cultures (albeit a few important differences)? My family straddles the border seamlessly....
I'll bet the Canadian people are relieved that he renounced his Canadian citizenship. They now need to be concerned about his US political aspirations as well as the American people.
romney was right... he should be self deported.
What an idiot. Republicans are really stupid huh?
How can someone who was physically born in Canada be a U.S. citizen AT BIRTH? I understand Sen. McCain's situation (he was born in the canal zone, a legitimate U.S. territory at the time) but... Canada? I'm confused. Can this be explained a bit more?
What about his Cuban citizenship?
Mr. Cruz is not a natural born u.s. citizen!!!! He was born on Canada soil !!!! To be president of the us you have to have been born on us soil, period!!!! Think about it! If anything he is a Mexican citizen , because his father was is a mexican!
I still don't understand this. So Ted Cruz is still not a natural-born citizen, right?
meaning Presidential run
Even if he becomes President he still will always be regarded as a Canadian, just how Obama is Kenyan.
What do you say, Donald?
This guy's a nitwit. Anybody with half a brain knows that if you are born in a country, you automatically get citizenship there.
Basically, Teddy was a Canadian anchor baby – and because he wasn't born in the U.S., he is not a "natural born" citizen and cannot legally be POTUS.
Next GOP Klown Kar Kontestant!
Who cares, he needs to move back to Canada and stay out of our political process. He also needs to resign. This guy is nuts, so far to the right.
Wow. One has to wonder what else he'd renounce, in an attempt to gain power and fame. A person of integrity and character would never do such a thing.