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.
A man who used to go on Howard Stern’s show and discuss his personal sexual habits, premature ejaculation, his wife’s bathroom habits, and celebrity sex tapes...and you thought he would be another Reagan?
Are you on some kind of prescription medication?
Trump, I know you have lurkers here. Stop with this stupidity. Go after Hilary.
“Obama’s father was Kenyan, mother American. If his BC is really a forgery, same situation!”
No, actually Cruz was unquestionably a US citizen at birth, but Obama was not if he was born in Kenya. The difference is the age of the mother, which is critically important in the citizenship law that was in effect from 1952 to 1986. Stanley Ann Obama was 18 when her son was born, and Eleanor Cruz was 36.
Whee isn’t it so FUN when everyone keeps looking at issues through keyholes.
The fact that nobody can make sense of anything that way is of little import, apparently. But the point isn’t to make sense. It’s to have your own little clique in the kindergarten.
The first nine presidents were foreign born.
So you say.
He never promised to be “another Reagan.” So another straw man bites the dust.
Canuckistinian Ted Cruz thanks you for your efforts
Donald Trump = Alan Grayson...think about it...not far off in my book!
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We always learned that the difference between crazy and eccentric is money. Trump will eventually be exposed as the democrat ass clown that he had always been until about 5 years ago.
“Are you on some kind of prescription medication?”
Yes, for blood pressure. And after your post I will need to raise the dose! LOL
I was hoping he would be like Reagan in attracting working class Democrats to the Republican cause, and in single-mindedly concentrating on a few important issues.
I don’t think this is a smear. This is a serious constitutional question, and now is the time to bring it up. A smear, on the other hand, is a personal attack, particularly something untrue, suggesting that the candidate is a person of low character. Trump is not questioning Cruz’ citizenship — or his character — what Trump is questioning is Cruz’ eligibility for the presidency. If we are to take the constitution at face value, indeed Cruz is not eligible to run for president; he has only one citizen parent and he was born in another country. And you can be sure the democrats are going to make hay with this! And they won’t mind throwing Obama under the bus if need be as Obama is no longer an asset for the democrats.
Cruz supporters in full meltdown mode over this. If it’s really no issue then don’t worry about it. How is Trump remotely worried about Ted? He’s up by large margins nationally and in most states. He’s behind slightly in Iowa but would not be surprised if he won Iowa. If Ted and his supporters can’t stand the heat with 2 minutes of Trump jabs at a rally, then you’re in for a very long Fall if he somehow gets the nomination. This is how Trump plays..to win, and how it’s done in NY, and for better or worse at the national level. Trump is not offering Ted the VP role. He’s finishing him off for the nomination. It is what it is and how the game used to be played before the Cruz supporters started acting like Ted needs a participation trophy and we can’t keep score during the game. Anyone remember Bush’s team accusing McCain of fathering a black child in 2000? The difference with Trump is he comes right out and says what he wants to say. Sorry the Cruz supporters are so thin skinned about this. It is a primary.
Donald, really have to lay off this stuff, it is not helping you.
Trump had better be careful or he’s going to really hurt himself. He should stay above this kind of crap.
You were for Trump until this?
-— “I don’t know,” Trump said -—
He finally gets it.
This is why I don’t trust Trump fully. Can he be this stupid?
If people are squealing, he must be over target. Go Trump!
Trump’s behavior toward Cruz seems to me both desperate and unscrupulous. I’m sad that Trump is going down this path. I had hoped he would become another Reagan.
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I, too, am bitterly disappointed. I had such high hopes for Trump. A couple things that Ronald Reagan had that Trump lacks is “class” and solid, core beliefs.
Trump’s actions here are similar to (a situation that will never occur) my evaluation of Ted Cruz if he would say to his audience, “Is Donald Trump an a@@hole?” and they would yell out in the affirmative. Of course that would never happen because Ted Cruz has something that Trump lacks and Reagan had-—CLASS!
Trump is a pathetic and petty egotist...and NOTHING MORE.
Cruz would have to deal with this and seemingly augusts who bring up tomes like Vattel’s Law Of Nations have argued right on FR that the quintessential constitutional thing is to not allow a Cruz to qualify (denying Congress can change the meaning of a constitutional term), setting Cruz in some sense against “orthodox constitutionality.”
Democrats are not so collegial minded that they will not treat this with the kid gloves that Republicans proffered to Barack Obama on this issue. It is not an attack from the left to warn of a problem from the left that isn’t going to go away.
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