ADVERTISEMENT

Ted Cruz Addresses Birther Issue, Slams Trump

January 14, 2016

Sen. Ted Cruz (R., Texas) firmly addressed the issue of his Canadian birth and eligibility for the presidency during Thursday night's Fox Business debate, tying rival Donald Trump's focus on it to his struggling polls in Iowa.

The crowd tittered when Fox Business host Neil Cavuto asked Cruz if he wanted to close the so-called "birther" topic for good at the debate.

"Well, Neil, I'm glad we are focusing on the important topics of the evening," Cruz said.

Cruz needled Trump for bringing the issue to the forefront because Cruz had caught him up in the polls.

"I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa, but the facts and the law are really quite clear," Cruz said. "Under longstanding U.S. law, the child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural-born citizen."

Cruz said some of the "birther theories" Trump has been relying on suggested that only a candidate with two American-born parents could be president, which would actually disqualify Trump since his mother was born in Scotland.

"I would suggest we focus on who's best prepared to be commander-in-chief, because that's the most important question facing the country," Cruz said.