Posted on 01/10/2016 5:48:46 PM PST by randita
RENO, Nev. -- After days of coyly raising questions about Ted Cruz's eligibility to be president, given that he was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban father, Donald Trump let his audience weigh in at a rally Sunday afternoon.
"Is he a natural-born citizen?" the Republican White House hopeful asked several thousand gathered in a Reno ballroom. Members of the crowd shouted back, "No!"
"I don't know," Trump said. "Honestly, we don't know. Who the hell knows." Cruz was Trump's No. 1 target during the 65-minute event, revealing just how much of a threat the Republican senator from Texas has become to the front-runner. Before the rally started, Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." blared, a new edition to Trump's playlist.
"So, Cruz is a problem," Trump said, beginning an attack that lasted about seven minutes. "And here's the problem: It's called uncertainly. It's called you just don't know."
Cruz has repeatedly said there is no question that he is eligible for the presidency, saying this weekend that "the Constitution and federal law are clear that the child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural-born citizen." Cruz's campaign has yet to respond to Trump's latest comments.
But Trump said Sunday that "this is not a settled matter" and that he's not the only one raising questions. He said if Cruz becomes the Republican nominee, the Democrats could challenge his eligibility in lawsuits that could drag on for years.
"Does anyone know more about litigation than Trump?" Trump said of himself. "Okay? I know a lot. I'm like a PhD in litigation."
Trump compared Cruz running for president with this lingering question about Democrat Hillary Clinton running despite lingering questions about her use of a private email account during her time as secretary of state. Later Trump also compared the situation to a fighter being disqualified for not meeting the weight class.
My preference would be that Trump would focus on other lines of attack regarding Cruz. It’s not like there aren’t other criticisms that could be made (e.g. wishy washy on immigration, TPP). And yet strategically it might make sense.
Whatever the truth is regarding Cruz’s NBC status, Trump didn’t create these questions, but he is exploiting them. That may seem dastardly to some, but most who feel that way are probably die hard Trump haters would never vote for Trump even if he focused on more direct criticisms of Cruz such as immigration and TPP. So, talking about it does raise doubt in people’s minds, and it is a valid question, even if Trump is raising it for an ulterior motive. And until Cruz garners up the courage to come out swinging against Trump, this is what he’ll get from him - indirect attacks on Cruz that sow the seeds of doubt in people’s minds.
Ted Cruz has no natural-born-citizen qualification problem. He does have a serious problem getting nominated and then elected. It won’t be easy.
I infer that Donald Trump has formed the opinion that if he doesn’t knock out Ted Cruz in Iowa, he is going to lose the nomination to Ted. So he is going all-out to accomplish that goal, by any means at his disposal. Mr. Trump apparently has also formed the opinion that he is immune from damaging his own reputation by lying about Ted Cruz. We’ll find out soon enough if his judgment about this is correct. I’ve switched my preference from Trump to Cruz because of this, but I may be unrepresentative of the average Republican voter.
Tribe is a professor who taught both Cruz and Obama. He has been widely touted for years. Doesn’t mean you have to like him, but frankly I think Harvard is FULL of Commies anyway.
The question is: Where is the case by the highest court that says it will go nowhere? Unless you can find one where nobody else has been able to you are wrong. BTW, a statute does not amend nor define the Constitution with regard to the question, particularly one that was amended, (precisely, according to comments at the time, because it unconstitutionally attempted to do so,) so as to eliminate the word “natural.” I suspect that you have not studied the actual law involved and have limited capacity to do so or you would not make such a pronouncement that cannot be backed up.
I agree and I find it outrageous that he was a sitting senator CONCEALING his dual citizenship. WHY WASN’T HE VETTED? He lied about that when he said he didn’t know. What else will he lie about?
Donald would be smart to drop this. It isn’t getting him any traction and it’s getting sympathy for Cruz.
______________________________________________
If this is going to hurt Donald (whom you hate), why are you encouraging him to stop? If this is going to help Cruz, why aren’t you happy about it?
Sorry, but you folks really confuse me. If Trump is imploding, why are you advising him to stop? Seems you’d be able to sit quietly back and watch him self-destruct.
Watching you TDS types, is like watching the MSM advising our candidates on what they need to do to be loved.
Nope. Not a word I use. I do call Cruz devious and untruthful, but I’ve never called him evil.
From the similarity of your attitude to other posters on this thread, I assumed you were a Cruz supporter. If you are not, then support Trump as Trump is or leave him, whichever is right for you. I do not like the attitude that is developing lately for Trump to alter the very tactics which have put him in the lead. He is first right now because he says what he thinks. He calls it like he sees it. He has not played it safe up to now, so why should he change? Cruz threw some mighty low blows at Trump and they are seldom if ever mentioned. If someone had cast a doubt on my trustworthiness with nuclear weapons, I would have thrown the kitchen table at them. If someone had inferred he was being kind and not argueing with me because he was waiting til later but now was giving bear hugs because “that was the plan” I’d throw the kitchen sink at him. Cruz threw the first blow, let him reap what he sowed. Trump supporters need to accept him warts and all or find someone else. At least be honest enough to like him or hate him AS HE IS.
I never knew a winner in my life that never took chances. It takes intestinal fortitude to stand your ground. That is the mark of a leader and Trump is a leader, not a cream puff. Patton wasn’t a cream puff either, but he persevered and won his battles. I like that Trump admires Patton.
You all could be right about Trump's method and we all agree about his wanting to win and currently Cruz is his only competition.
I don't know if he's been lying about Ted Cruz or not, haven't heard what you've heard him say.
However, we don't agree about Ted Cruz not having a natural born citizen problem; he'll always have a natural born citizen problem if that's what he wants or claims to be!
So naturally, we don't agree about how big the problem might be nor about what it says about him and why nor how potentially terminal for him and his career it is to now be in this current role.
For me, it's better to just give him and Trump the benefit of doubt and entertaining to speculate about whatever the truth may be, since, even best case, we'll still just have to wait and see.
From here, what Trump is doing could easily be seen as a timely rescue attempt while sealing the deal at the same time, and then called as a win for everyone involved.
You’re preaching to the choir. My whole point is to fight smart.
Not to those who believe the original intent of the founders was the explanation of “Natural born citizen” given in Vattel’s Law of Nations. Two American parents would be necessary for Cruz to qualify and I believe it was the intent of the Founders to assure that no person of divided loyalty could be president and therefor commander in chief of the Army.
All this business about Cruz’s mother is just fluff as it is clearly established that Cruz’s father was a Cuban national.
> the plain English of the Act’s seem cut and dry.
Indeed.
Notice:
1790 Act: “An Act to establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization.”
1795 Act: “An Act to establish an uniform rule of Naturalization; and to repeal the act heretofore passed on that subject.”
Both are explicitly stated to be naturalization acts.
Notice too:
For “the children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond Sea, or out of the limits of the United States” to acquire citizenship required a naturalization act.
If that’s all it took,Then you were not a true supporter of Trump, you just wanted to be on the winning side and now you think it is Cruz on top. In many people’s opinions including experts, Cruz does have a natural born citizen problem. So does Obama. If this is finally brought to a conclusion, it should eliminate foreigners with foreign loyalties from attaining our highest office. Obama would fall as well and that just might be THE reason it is being brought up. Ever think of that?
This shows his lack of character and disgusts me. He is deliberately being spreading doubts and dishonesty to his cult like followers. Very upset by this.
Then welcome aboard. I trust Trump to call the best shots for himself. He knows the game better than all of us. So far he has blasted all the experts out of the water and I’m not inclined to question his judgement. Nobody is perfect, but Trump seems to know what he’s doing.
Doubt and dishonesty when Cruz hid his dual nationality and was elected Senator? Seems to me Cruz is the liar and certainly dishonest to insist he is natural born citizen and it is a “settled question” when obviously it is not.
I welcome you aboard.
Thank you. I appreciate that very much. I’m a newbie but very well grounded in American history. Sadly, I believe we’re losing our country because we don’t seem to make patriots any more.
Don’t let “newbie” concern you. That’s a ridiculous term. You are as politically astute as most here and more astute than others. We all fit into the mix and to term people because they haven’t been here long is ridiculous.
“He’s not and never was ‘Canadian’â€
Norm? Then why did he give up his Canadian citizenship in 2014? If he had Canadian citizenship to give up he was, one would think, Canadian. No?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.