The eligibility of Senator Ted Cruz to run for president initially looked strong, then probable but uncertain as a closer examination shows it is surprisingly weak. The constitutional text provides that a president, unlike other elected officials, must be a “natural born citizen.” This language could not mean anyone born a citizen or else the text would have simply stated “born citizen.” Ted Cruz eligibility has been a card played by his GOP strong rival, Donald Trump.
Cruz replies critics, says he’s a natural born
During last week’s Republican presidential debate, Ted Cruz said it’s “really quite clear” he is eligible to run for president even though he was born in Canada, because his mother was a U.S. citizen. His rival Donald Trump insisted “there is a serious question” as to whether Cruz qualifies as “a natural born citizen,” one of the constitutional requirements for the presidency. At common law, “natural born” meant someone born within the sovereign territory with one narrow exception.
Some Republicans doubt Ted Cruz’s eligibility
Republican presidential hopeful, Senator Ted Cruz is certain that he’s a natural-born citizen of the United States, but other Republicans aren’t so sure, a new poll finds. A new Monmouth University poll finds one-third of Republican voters and voters who lean Republican either don’t believe or aren’t sure the Texas senator meets that definition, a critical question for Cruz as he seeks the GOP presidential nomination. According to the Wall Street Journal, Cruz’s Republican-primary opponent Donald Trump has been hammering him on his birth in Canada, saying Cruz needs to assure GOP voters that isn’t an issue. “I don’t think Ted Cruz can even run for President until he can assure Republican voters that being born in Canada is not a problem. Doubt!” Trump tweeted on Tuesday. About two in three Republicans say they believe he (Cruz) meets the requirements to be president.
Trump goes after Cruz on bank loans
Donald Trump fired his GOP rival Sen. Ted Cruz Wednesday morning for taking bank loans to finance his senate campaign that he didn’t properly disclose during his successful 2012 run. The businessman called Mr. Cruz “two-faced” for accepting the loans from Citigroup Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc., while also campaigning to protect voters from big Wall Street banks.
