In a speech in Utah last night, Trump focused early on his distaste for Ted Cruz. He referred to him as “Lying Ted” several times and then made this incredible claim: “You know the evangelicals are with me, because they know I’m not a liar.” I’ll just let that sink in, as I write the 33 post in as many days on a blog entitled What Donald Trump Lied About Yesterday.

At the 56:30 point of the above video Trump questions the natural born citizen status of Ted Cruz. As he continues to berate his opponent on his untruthiness, he makes the following statement, off the cuff, and seemingly as an afterthought: “Now he’s got a lot of problems, we’ll talk about them for a second, but he’s got a lot of problems. Number one, in all fairness, look…is he really a natural born citizen? I mean, give me a break.”

Let’s take a look at Article I Section II of the old US Constitution, shall we:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Ted Cruz was born in Canada to a mother that was a US citizen and a father, a Cuban citizen, who was not. By US law, being born to a mother who is a US citizen makes you a citizen from birth, or a “natural born citizen.” Under pretty much any interpretation of the phrase “natural born citizen” Ted Cruz is definitely eligible. Donald Trump’s embrace of the ignorance of the Birther movement rears its head again, and it will not be the last time.

Sources:
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q70PGyf4Vfc
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/01/07/yes-ted-cruz-is-a-natural-born-citizen/
http://www.salon.com/2016/03/19/trumps_disingenuous_ted_cruz_smear_birtherism_is_back_still_dangerous_and_wrong/