Throughout his campaign, Donald Trump has made many bold and controversial statements. Recently, he has raised the issue of the eligibility of another Republican candidate, Ted Cruz. Cruz has openly let America know that he was born in Calgary, Canada, but now people are starting to wonder if he can run for president according to the Constitution. The Constitution of the United States specifically states that, “No person except a natural born Citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President.” Ted Cruz is of course a U.S. citizen, however he is not a natural-born because of his birthplace. However, no one is 100 percent sure about the situation yet. Although the Constitution provides lots of information regarding presidential requirements, it is still not very clear. The case is still not settled despite candidate Ted Cruz stating that this situation, “as a legal matter it is quite straightforward.” Experts say that it is not settled because the Constitution does not define what it means by a “natural born citizen.” Ted Cruz was born in Canada from a U.S. citizen mother and a Cuban citizen father. However, under the U.S. immigration law, Cruz is an American citizen too because of his mother’s citizenship. This does make Ted Cruz an American citizen, but the question is whether or not he is considered “natural born.” So is Ted Cruz a citizen, yes. However, many people including a few of the other GOP presidential candidates believe that the Constitution requires all candidates to be born in the United States. On multiple occasions, the front runner of the Republican candidates, Donald Trump, has made it clear that he believes that Cruz’s birthplace is an issue. On Jan. 18, 2016, Trump tweeted saying, “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!” According to the polls, two-thirds of GOP voters think that Cruz is a natural-born citizen despite Trump’s beliefs. It is nearly impossible for us today to decipher what the founders actually meant by the phrase “natural born citizen”. Many legal scholars are largely in agreement that Cruz is in fact eligible for the White House. Some smaller federal courts have also discussed the issue from time to time, but the U.S. Supreme Court has not officially stated their opinion on the complication yet.
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Erin EndresWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
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