He’s an illegal alien.
“I’m an alien, I’m an ILLEGAL alien
I’m a Canadian in New York”
h/t Sting
Not if his parents or he ever satisfied the US government that the circumstances of his birth met the statutory requirements. The OP says this was done in 1986. Between 1974 and 1986 the government could have challenged his citizenship, and the same answer would obtain - if his mother met the residency requirement precedent to the birth, and if she was still a US citizen, and if she and her husband were married, then the conditions of 301(a)(7) (IIRC, that is the statutory reference to the 1952 act in force in 1970) were met, then Ted is found to be a US citizen, from 1970.