At GOP debate, Ted Cruz and Donald Trump spar over Trump 'birther theories'
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
At Thursday's Republican presidential debate, Fox Business host Neil Cavuto asked Sen. Ted Cruz about his eligibility to run for president as a "natural born citizen," given that he was born in Canada to a U.S. mother and Cuban father. Cruz said that under "long-standing U.S. law, the child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural-born citizen." Some of the more extreme "birther theories" Trump is relying on would even disqualify Trump, Cruz said, since his mother was born in Scotland.
Trump pointed out that several constitutional scholars disagree with Cruz, naming Harvard Law Prof. Lawrence Tribe. Then Trump said that he doesn't care if Cruz qualifies, since Cruz "probably has a 4-5 percent chance" of winning the nomination. "I'm not bringing a suit — I promise — but the Democrats are bringing a lawsuit," Trump said. You can watch the entertaining back-and-forth below, up to Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) saying he hated "to interrupt this episode of Court TV," getting a laugh from the audience. Peter Weber
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
