Trump questions Cruz's citizenship

[webfact]

Donald Trump questions whether Cruz can be president

WASHINGTON: -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has questioned whether rival candidate Ted Cruz is eligible to become his party's nominee because he was born in Canada.

Mr Trump called it a "very precarious" issue for the party and said that Mr Cruz's nomination could be challenged in court.

Mr Cruz was born in Calgary to an American mother and a Cuban father. Most legal experts believe Mr Cruz meets the requirements to be president.

Full story: http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-35244080


-- BBC 2016-01-07

[stevenl]

At least he is consistent.

[Just1Voice]

From my understanding, and I could be wrong, but the Constitution states for a man to become President, he must be a "natural born citizen" of the United States, which, if I'm interpreting it correctly, means born on U.S. soil. If he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, that would rule out "natural born citizen", and could very well be challenged in court.

[Seastallion]

If Trump was an internet forum member, he would be classed as a troll.

[whybother]

From my understanding, and I could be wrong, but the Constitution states for a man to become President, he must be a "natural born citizen" of the United States, which, if I'm interpreting it correctly, means born on U.S. soil. If he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, that would rule out "natural born citizen", and could very well be challenged in court.

"Natural born" citizen means having citizenship at birth, which he did have due to his mother having US citizenship.

That would also apply to Obama if he was born in Kenya (which he wasn't).

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2013/aug/20/ted-cruz-born-canada-eligible-run-president/

[Scott]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

[brewsterbudgen]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But does that still qualify you to be President?

[otherstuff1957]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

While some loonies are still going on about Obama's birth, the fact that McCain was born in Panama (canal zone) wasn't even on the radar.

Most experts say that having a US parent in enough, regardless of where you were born.

[Scott]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But does that still qualify you to be President?

Yes. You are then a natural born US citizen. You are born a citizen and therefore it is not acquired, which would classify you as naturalized citizen.

[Pinot]

I love when the jackals turn on each other.

It doesn't matter where Cruz was born. He'll never get close to being POTHUS. Having tRump question Cruz's citizenship is a beautiful thing.

We're seeing the death throes of the Republican party. A train wreck in slow motion. The Republicans are going to lose again and double down again on all the right-wing crap.

The next Republican President hasn't been born yet.

[Ichabod]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But only if the US parent has lived in the US for 10 years prior to the birth and for which at least five of those years must be over the age of 14. His mother should have filed US State Department form FS-240 demonstrating that she met the conditions for her son to be a US citizen.

Where is the FS-240?

Since Cruz has never produced it, he is almost certainly not a citizen.

[Scott]

That is why I used the word 'eligible'.

Until/unless more is known about his situation and the circumstances of his birth, we don't know for sure.

[geriatrickid]

This is going to be fun.

I like Trump. He's fun.

[chuckd]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But only if the US parent has lived in the US for 10 years prior to the birth and for which at least five of those years must be over the age of 14. His mother should have filed US State Department form FS-240 demonstrating that she met the conditions for her son to be a US citizen.

Where is the FS-240?

Since Cruz has never produced it, he is almost certainly not a citizen.

Maybe it's in the same repository that holds Obama's transcripts and school records.

[Publicus]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But only if the US parent has lived in the US for 10 years prior to the birth and for which at least five of those years must be over the age of 14. His mother should have filed US State Department form FS-240 demonstrating that she met the conditions for her son to be a US citizen.

Where is the FS-240?

Since Cruz has never produced it, he is almost certainly not a citizen.

Maybe it's in the same repository that holds Obama's transcripts and school records.

Irrelevant and immaterial. Few if any presidents release the information which is the individual choice of each one. Political enemies and cynics can make anything out of such things as they please. But we know that in the instance of President Obama Republicans and other rightwhingers would not do that, don't we .

[mopar71]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But does that still qualify you to be President?

Yes. You are then a natural born US citizen. You are born a citizen and therefore it is not acquired, which would classify you as naturalized citizen.

Yes, if someone is an American citizen now, but they were never issued one of these, then they are natural born citizens and eligible to be POTUS....

Edited January 7, 2016 by mopar71

[Publicus]

Principal reason the Founders agreed on the natural born citizen requirement was to prevent a foreign prince coming to USA to possibly do something like buy the electoral college to become POTUS. There had been abundant instances in Europe of foreign princes of one country ruling in another country up to the time the Constitution was written and adopted, and after it came into effect.

The requirement should probably remain in effect (even if it means some Republican might again be elected POTUS in the unforeseeable distant future ).

So it might be a matter of putting the Cruz question to a court to see if the Constitutional requirement should be absolute or whether it might apply only in the instance of a foreign prince, but not apply in the instance of Ted Cruz who, as far as we know, is not a foreign prince. (Although Cruz certainly is a prince )

(The consideration in present time could be about a CCP born in the CCP China coming to USA to become a citizen to try to deliver the USA to the CCP, theoretically.)

Ted Cruz having been born in Canada and a citizen there too (until very recently) was in fact born in a place ruled over by a foreign sovereign monarch, the Queen of England. She is the sovereign reigning monarch of the UK of which Canada is a Commonwealth (federated) country. So this could get hairy. Could.

For instance, has the USA ever had a POTUS who has in fact been a citizen of another country ruled by a "foreign prince"? If so, what about it as a fait accompli? Would it matter to a court of law presently in the instance of Edward "Ted" Cruz?

SCOTUS has never ruled on this question. It may not need to in the Cruz instance. We dunno.

If the birther Trump and his crackpot followers had been serious about President Obama they would have tried to bring a serious case to the federal courts for a disposition/determination. To my knowledge the nutcase Trump his crackpot gaggle of lunatic Birthers never made any such serious attempt. For good reason. They would have lost and officially been declared and certified as stupid, frivolous, morons.

So Ted Cruz might have to show all of his passports . He may have been a card carrying Canadian .

These Republicans and other rightwingers are a riot.

[mopar71]

I love when the jackals turn on each other.

It doesn't matter where Cruz was born. He'll never get close to being POTHUS. Having tRump question Cruz's citizenship is a beautiful thing.

We're seeing the death throes of the Republican party. A train wreck in slow motion. The Republicans are going to lose again and double down again on all the right-wing crap.

The next Republican President hasn't been born yet.

Some say the Democrats are experiencing the death of their party because they aren't even really having a primary for their voters to choose a nominee. That choice has already been made for them in Hillary.

The Republicans now are going through what every party is supposed to go through during the process of selecting a nominee...multiple choices, several debates on days and times people will watch, candidates saying things they don't believe because they are fighting over the extreme end of their party (they are the ones who turnout for primary votes) only later to move towards the center for the general election. This is where the voters get to learn more about various candidates before they vote for their choice, not Debbie Wasserman Shultz's choice.

The media covers what Republican candidates are saying and most of Hillary's press comes from the FBI investigation surrounding her. A party whose only real candidate is under investigation by the FBI is in trouble. No, I don't count Bernie as a real candidate because his debate highlights are; 1) refusing to talk about his opponents biggest weakness (emails-FBI) and, 2) directly apologizing to his opponent. Way to score points...only if you want the VP job.

So Trump will attack other candidates, as candidates are supposed to do. In 2008 Hillary did it. Her campaign was the first to bring up the whole birther thing so in a sense Trump is just following her lead.

Edited January 7, 2016 by mopar71

[Publicus]

I love when the jackals turn on each other.

It doesn't matter where Cruz was born. He'll never get close to being POTHUS. Having tRump question Cruz's citizenship is a beautiful thing.

We're seeing the death throes of the Republican party. A train wreck in slow motion. The Republicans are going to lose again and double down again on all the right-wing crap.

The next Republican President hasn't been born yet.

Some say the Democrats are experiencing the death of their party because they aren't even really having a primary for their voters to choose a nominee. That choice has already been made for them in Hillary.

The Republicans now are going through what every party is supposed to go through during the process of selecting a nominee...multiple choices, several debates on days and times people will watch, candidates saying things they don't believe because they are fighting over the extreme end of their party (they are the ones who turnout for primary votes) only later to move towards the center for the general election. This is where the voters get to learn more about various candidates before they vote for their choice, not Debbie Wasserman Shultz's choice.

The media covers what Republican candidates are saying and most of Hillary's press comes from the FBI investigation surrounding her. A party whose only real candidate is under investigation by the FBI is in trouble. No, I don't count Bernie as a real candidate because his debate highlights are; 1) refusing to talk about his opponents biggest weakness (emails-FBI) and, 2) directly apologizing to his opponent. Way to score points...only if you want the VP job.

So Trump will attack other candidates, as candidates are supposed to do. In 2008 Hillary did it. Her campaign was the first to bring up the whole birther thing so in a sense Trump is just following her lead.

In 2008 Hillary did it. Her campaign was the first to bring up the whole birther thing so in a sense Trump is just following her lead.

False. One hundred percent false.

The other deflection of criticism is to blame the left for the birther movement, and we see this often on Twitter and even from more mainstream sources, for example:

The birther movement originated with anonymous e-mails from Hillary Clinton supporters.

That’s not true. The birther movement started at the right-wing Free Republic forum. Yes, Clinton supporters were early adopters of birther rumors, most of whom fell away after one of them found the newspaper announcements of Obama’s birth in Honolulu newspapers, but they didn’t originate them.

Read more:

• The Secret Origin of the Birthers by Loren Collins

http://www.obamaconspiracy.org/2013/03/hillary-clinton-supporters-were-not-the-first-birthers/

most of Hillary's press comes from the FBI investigation surrounding her.

False again.

Former Secretary of State and United States Senator elected from the state of New York Hillary Clinton is surrounded only by a vast rightwing conspicuously. She is not the subject or target of any FBI investigation, nor has she ever been. Nor is she going to be. The post is more innuendo.

It is also true the Republican party is in chaos, led by Donald Trump. Republican party looks like a clothing tumble dry machine in full heat.

The present chaos is worse than the campaign commotion of 2012 which featured the Keystone Cops platoon of Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Mike Huckabee, Rick oops I don't remember the third agency Perry, Willard Mitt Romney (his birth name), Sarah Palin on the margins, Michelle Bachman who won the Iowa Straw Poll, Ron Paul; unknowns such as Joe Story, Vern Weunschle among others.

In 2012 Mitt Romney was unable to move to the political center because he'd had to go so far to the right during the primaries. Yet Romney was never as far right as his primary campaign opponents had been.

This Republican campaign is ever further to the right than the 2012 fiasco had been and the party then didn't ever recover from its extremism. This time around is worse and the worse result will show in the November general election too.

Donald Trump btw follows no one. Anyone who believes Trump follows anyone's lead is not in contact with reality.

[Scott]

Off-topic post removed.

[spidermike007]

This is very typical of Disgusting Donald, and does not come as a surprise. He despises all non Americans. He probably despises all non white male Americans. He will do or say anything to accomplish his objectives. He has demonstrated that in a nearly 40 year career, full of lies, deceit, disingenuous behavior, bankruptcies, failed businesses, and mudslinging. It is in his very nature to hate, and to despise many. He is a vile man and a rather unimpressive human being, other than the money he has earned by stepping on the heads of others.

[Suradit69]

If Trump was an internet forum member, he would be classed as a troll.

You're being overly polite.

[Suradit69]

From my understanding, and I could be wrong, but the Constitution states for a man to become President, he must be a "natural born citizen" of the United States, which, if I'm interpreting it correctly, means born on U.S. soil. If he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, that would rule out "natural born citizen", and could very well be challenged in court.

I'm sure it could be grounds for going to court (and subsequent appeals), but ...

The Constitution does not define the phrase natural-born citizen, and various opinions have been offered over time regarding its precise meaning. The consensus of early 21st-century constitutional and legal scholarship, together with relevant case law, is that "natural born" comprises all people born subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, including, generally, those born in the United States, those born to U.S. citizen parents in foreign countries, and those born in other situations meeting the legal requirements for U.S. citizenship "at birth"

[chilli42]

Beautiful! Trump continues to sow doubt with the <80 IQ audience he appeals to.

Of course it's nonsense. It's only naturalized Americans that can not run for President. If one parent is American then the person is considered US born - born on US soil is not a requirement. Though wonder if and when Cruz renounced Canadian citizenship.

[bark]

From my understanding, and I could be wrong, but the Constitution states for a man to become President, he must be a "natural born citizen" of the United States, which, if I'm interpreting it correctly, means born on U.S. soil. If he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, that would rule out "natural born citizen", and could very well be challenged in court.

Yes, you are correct. You are wrong.

He is an American, and Canada doesn't want him.

[Pinot]

I love when the jackals turn on each other.

It doesn't matter where Cruz was born. He'll never get close to being POTHUS. Having tRump question Cruz's citizenship is a beautiful thing.

We're seeing the death throes of the Republican party. A train wreck in slow motion. The Republicans are going to lose again and double down again on all the right-wing crap.

The next Republican President hasn't been born yet.

Some say the Democrats are experiencing the death of their party because they aren't even really having a primary for their voters to choose a nominee. That choice has already been made for them in Hillary.

The Republicans now are going through what every party is supposed to go through during the process of selecting a nominee...multiple choices, several debates on days and times people will watch, candidates saying things they don't believe because they are fighting over the extreme end of their party (they are the ones who turnout for primary votes) only later to move towards the center for the general election. This is where the voters get to learn more about various candidates before they vote for their choice, not Debbie Wasserman Shultz's choice.

The media covers what Republican candidates are saying and most of Hillary's press comes from the FBI investigation surrounding her. A party whose only real candidate is under investigation by the FBI is in trouble. No, I don't count Bernie as a real candidate because his debate highlights are; 1) refusing to talk about his opponents biggest weakness (emails-FBI) and, 2) directly apologizing to his opponent. Way to score points...only if you want the VP job.

So Trump will attack other candidates, as candidates are supposed to do. In 2008 Hillary did it. Her campaign was the first to bring up the whole birther thing so in a sense Trump is just following her lead.

Some say? You mean some on Fox News say. 47% of Fox News viewers get 100% of their news from Fox. They are horribly misinformed. Take the above for example.

No, this is not what a political party should be going through...ever. 16 terrible, unelectable candidates trying to out-right wing each other with a xenophobic buffoon leading the pack. You're looking at multiple choices alright, one worst than the next.

I think Trump will be out of the race in a couple of months and then there is...

The GOP no longer exists. Trump, Carson, Fiorina aren't of the GOP. Priebus has no power. Republican is just a label for whoever can convince the Kochs and Adelson to give them money.

A two term black man in the White House has resulted in the mental collapse of the of the right. Learn from the losses and come back to reality or go further out to into wingnuttia, Republicans have chosen the latter.

Get use to the phrase "Madam President". You'll be hearing it often over the next eight years.

[dutchisaan]

I love when the jackals turn on each other.

It doesn't matter where Cruz was born. He'll never get close to being POTHUS. Having tRump question Cruz's citizenship is a beautiful thing.

We're seeing the death throes of the Republican party. A train wreck in slow motion. The Republicans are going to lose again and double down again on all the right-wing crap.

The next Republican President hasn't been born yet.

Some say the Democrats are experiencing the death of their party because they aren't even really having a primary for their voters to choose a nominee. That choice has already been made for them in Hillary.

The Republicans now are going through what every party is supposed to go through during the process of selecting a nominee...multiple choices, several debates on days and times people will watch, candidates saying things they don't believe because they are fighting over the extreme end of their party (they are the ones who turnout for primary votes) only later to move towards the center for the general election. This is where the voters get to learn more about various candidates before they vote for their choice, not Debbie Wasserman Shultz's choice.

The media covers what Republican candidates are saying and most of Hillary's press comes from the FBI investigation surrounding her. A party whose only real candidate is under investigation by the FBI is in trouble. No, I don't count Bernie as a real candidate because his debate highlights are; 1) refusing to talk about his opponents biggest weakness (emails-FBI) and, 2) directly apologizing to his opponent. Way to score points...only if you want the VP job.

So Trump will attack other candidates, as candidates are supposed to do. In 2008 Hillary did it. Her campaign was the first to bring up the whole birther thing so in a sense Trump is just following her lead.

Some say? You mean some on Fox News say. 47% of Fox News viewers get 100% of their news from Fox. They are horribly misinformed. Take the above for example.

No, this is not what a political party should be going through...ever. 16 terrible, unelectable candidates trying to out-right wing each other with a xenophobic buffoon leading the pack. You're looking at multiple choices alright, one worst than the next.

I think Trump will be out of the race in a couple of months and then there is...

The GOP no longer exists. Trump, Carson, Fiorina aren't of the GOP. Priebus has no power. Republican is just a label for whoever can convince the Kochs and Adelson to give them money.

A two term black man in the White House has resulted in the mental collapse of the of the right. Learn from the losses and come back to reality or go further out to into wingnuttia, Republicans have chosen the latter.

Get use to the phrase "Madam President". You'll be hearing it often over the next eight years.

I like your post, but I hope Trump stays around a little longer! Beats the heck out off Saturday Night Life!

[brewsterbudgen]

Fortunately, Cruz is so loathed by many Republicans he stands little chance of being the nominee, let alone POTUS.

[Ichabod]

Here are the requirements from the US State Department for acquisition of US citizenship for someone born outside the US. The requirements are specified in the Immigration and Naturalization Act, not in the Constitution.

Birth Abroad to One Citizen and One Alien Parent in Wedlock

A child born abroad to one U.S. citizen parent and one alien parent acquires U.S. citizenship at birth under Section 301(g) of the INA provided the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for the time period required by the law applicable at the time of the child's birth. (For birth on or after November 14, 1986, a period of five years physical presence, two after the age of fourteen, is required. For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, a period of ten years, five after the age of fourteen, is required for physical presence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions to transmit U.S. citizenship to the child.) The U.S. citizen parent must be the genetic or the gestational parent and the legal parent of the child under local law at the time and place of the child’s birth to transmit U.S. citizenship.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal-considerations/us-citizenship-laws-policies/citizenship-child-born-abroad.html

So the question is was Cruz's mother, Eleanor Darragh, present in the US for 10 year of which 5 must be over the age of 14 prior to Cruz's birth. If she was, then she should have filed Consular Report of Birth Abroad, State Dept. form FS-240. Cruz has never produced the form which would settle the question. If the form FS-240 was indeed filed it seems unlikely that Cruz would not have produced it to settle the question. Therefore, it seems likely that the form was never filed.

If the form was not filed then Cruz is not only not a US citizen, but since he renounced his Canadian citizenship, he would be a stateless person. By voting and taking office as a US senator he has probably committed voting and election fraud. Unlike with the Obama birther movement, Cruz has a real problem establishing eligibility to run for office.

This issue will not go away as long as Cruz remains in the race. The further he gets the more important it will be to settle the matter.

[arjunadawn]

If one of your parents is a US citizen, you are automatically eligible for US citizenship and are considered a US citizen.

But only if the US parent has lived in the US for 10 years prior to the birth and for which at least five of those years must be over the age of 14. His mother should have filed US State Department form FS-240 demonstrating that she met the conditions for her son to be a US citizen.

Where is the FS-240?

Since Cruz has never produced it, he is almost certainly not a citizen.

But then... Ann Dunham was 18 years old... Hrmm, isn't this what provides the context to the OP- The recent absurd suggestion regarding the current president and eligibility? Yes, Ichabod's post is correct, as I understand it. Its just so much more is suggested here than Cruz's non-predicament. I have no opinion one way or another about past presidents but according to this post...