Trump escalates attacks on Ted Cruz’s eligibility to run

Seattle Times ^ | 1/9/16 | Scott Bauer

[VinL]

Donald Trump taunted fellow Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz over his eligibility to be president on Saturday, offering the following response to Cruz's instance that he's a natural born citizen: "You're not."

"You can't have a person running for office, even though Ted is very glib and he goes out and he says, 'Oh, well, I'm a natural born citizen.' The point is, you're not," Trump said during a rally in Clear Lake, Iowa.

"I mean, you've got to get a declaratory judgement, you have to have the courts come up with a ruling or you have a candidate who just cannot run because the other side will immediately bring suit and you've got that cloud on your head."

The comments were the latest sign that the delicate detente between the Texas senator and the billionaire businessman on display last year has been shattered as Cruz has jumped ahead of Trump in polls in Iowa, which holds its leadoff caucuses Feb. 1. (snip)

[VinL]

Trump continues his Anita Hill attack- and now no longer claims he's merely raising the question. He has affirmatively declared that Cruz is ineligible.

Cruz has the highest favorables in the GOP-- let's see how this works out for Anita Trump.

[DoughtyOne]

It's the rage these days,
so lets all play Conservative Review Checkers,
the Cruz vs Trump classic.

[springwater13]

Yeah like it hurt Trump comparing Carson to a child molester when he had the highest favorables.

Give me a break. That was an attack. This is nothing.

[South40]

[onedoug]

I believe Cruz has produced his mother’s birth certificate which indicates that she is native born, but had been in Canada 4 years, where I believe 5 might have disqualified him.

If I’m wrong, I hope someone will point it out.

[traderrob6]

Great graphic, LOL.

[kik5150]

Trump sounds desperate. He can’t damage Cruz on ideological grounds or by hurling insults. This is a tactic out of Obama’s playbook to try to disqualify a candidate.

[McGruff]

Some reason for posting the same story again?

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3381775/posts

[VinL]

Yeah like it hurt Trump comparing Carson to a child molester when he had the highest favorables.

***************

Are you kidding??????????/ Dumbness move Trump made (til now) was going after Carson, I said it then. All he did was elevate Cruz. If Trump had kept his mouth shut, Cruz and Carson would be splitting the Iowa vote now, and Trump would be sitting pretty— and wouldn’t be having to make these desperate, idiotic Anita Hill attacks.

[Colonel_Flagg]

That slime you see under your feet is the latest pronouncement from Donald Trump.

That’s all he’s good at.

[volunbeer]

This is a non-issue in my opinion. I believe Cruz is eligible based on the opinions of people much smarter than me about law.

Outside of news junkies and political nerds like us people don’t care and it won’t influence their decisions. Trump is baited constantly and while he is pretty media savvy he is also prone to tossing grenades in response. He would have been better off leaving this one alone personally.

With that said, I also believe the media coverage made it sound far more harsh than his actual comments.

[VinL]

See arrived in either 1967 or 1969, Cruz born in 1970. You’re correct, she could not have been a Canadian citizen.

[so_real]

I won't speculate on Trump's motive, but I agree with him that the issue will not go away using the "nothing to see here, move along" approach. All it takes is one federal judge in one state to *not* dodge the issue (as they all did when it was Obama's turn) to let the cat out of the bag. And then it's a long drawn out way to the Supreme Court, and no guarantee they won't punt (again!) too. We'll probably end up with Obama a ninth year while this is litigated. Cruz needs own up to the question of "original intent" and get in front of this. Put the spot light on Obama and say ... "He was vetted, and he's in. My credentials are golden by comparison."

[VinL]

Yes. In the first story, it was unclear to some that Trump had said that Cruz “was not” a natural born citizen... and they contested it.

In this story, it makes that fact clear.

[JSDude1]

And Cruz will continue to point out this is a non issue and ignore bombast.

[WhiskeyX]

“You’re correct, she could not have been a Canadian citizen.”

Either she and/or Rafael Cruz were Canadian Permanent Residents when Ted Cruz was born.

[VinL]

Cruz is just going to stick to his game plan-— win Iowa, get momentum, and sweep SEC.. Nothing will distract him.

[VinL]

My friend, the law in Canada is that you must be a resident for 5 years in order to become a citizen.

His mom went to Canada in either 1967 or 1969, and Cruz was born in 1970. His mom was always an American citizen, and remained an American citizen when Cruz was born.

That’s all that’s material.

[American Constitutionalist]

Trump is losing the fence sitters support inspite of what the Trump supports would have anyone to think.

[KGeorge]

Trump is not a phony & he isn’t a liar. His point, I think, is that just because someone makes a claim- however adamant, doesn’t make it true. Especially in this day & age. We’ve all been had by shady dealings just a few too many times.

I think he was sincere in wanting to cut the democrats off at the knees. Cruz’s reaction, or lack of response, may have given him pause.
Indignant or not, Cruz isn’t handling this the right way. Who cares what 0bama did? We are supposed to be better than him- not sinking to his/ the left’s level.

It’s very foolish to escalate a dispute when the intelligent & productive thing is to resolve it, dead to rights. It would be getting smaller in the rearview mirror, now, if Cruz had done that.