Ted Cruz points out Donald Trump’s own birther problem
Ted Cruz came very prepared to address his birther problem in the first GOP Debate of 2016. In fact he turned the table on Donald Trump in an interesting manner.
Cruz gave the standard explanation he gave in other venues.
Look as a legal matter, the question is quite straightforward in settled law that the child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural born citizen. People will continue to make political noise about it. But as a legal matter it is quite straightforward. I would note that it has occurred many times in history. John McCain was born in Panama but he was a natural born citizen because his parents were U.S. citizens. George Romney, Mitt’s dad, was born in Mexico when his parents were Mormon missionaries. But he was a natural born citizen because his parents were citizens. And actually Barry Goldwater was born in Arizona before Arizona was a state. And yet he was a natural born citizen because his parents were citizens. As a legal matter the question is quite straightforward.
Ted Cruz then got an interesting dig into Donald Trump. He attempted to make their citizenship cases similar.
At the end of the day, the legal issue is quite straightforward, but I would note that the birther theories that Donald has been relying on — some of the more extreme ones insist that you must not only be born on U.S. soil, but have two parents born on U.S. soil. Under that theory, not only would I be disqualified, Marco Rubio would be disqualified, Bobby Jindal would be disqualified and, interestingly enough, Donald J. Trump would be disqualified because Donald’s mother was born in Scotland. She was naturalized. Now, Donald on the issue — on the issue of citizenship, Donald on the issue of citizenship, Donald, I’m not going to use your mother’s birth against you.
According to Cruz, Donald Trump’s mother was a naturalized American from Scotland. He attempted to equate his scenario with Cruz’s scenario. They were both born of parents born outside of the country. Of course the fact remains that Ted Cruz was born in Canada.
It is likely many of Cruz’s low information follower’s will take the bait. He connected the faux similarities perfectly.