Thread: Trump questions Rubio's eligibility

Trump questions Rubio's eligibility

By Eliza Collins

02/21/16 10:36 AM EST
Updated 02/21/16 12:18 PM EST

Donald Trump is now raising questions about Marco Rubio’s ability to legally run for president.

On Saturday, Trump retweeted a tweet that suggested the Florida senator was not a citizen, George Stephanopoulos asked him about it on ABC’s “This Week” Sunday morning.

Rubio was born in Florida on May 28, 1971. His parents had come to the United States from Cuba in 1950s. Trump retweeted a tweet on Saturday that suggested both Rubio and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz were ineligible to be president.

There is a lawsuit pending in Broward County, Florida, challenging the eligibility of both Cruz and Rubio — Cruz because of where he was born, Rubio because of where his parents were born.

“I think the lawyers have to determine that that — and not— it was a retweet, not so much with Marco. I'm not really that familiar with Marco's circumstances,” Trump said Sunday morning.

“But then why retweet it?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“Because I'm not sure. I mean, let people make their own determination. I know Ted is being now — I think he's being sued by somebody having nothing to do with me, by the way,” Trump said.

“You're really not sure that Marco Rubio is eligible to run for president? You're really not sure?” Stephanopoulos asked.

“I don't know. I really — I've never looked at it, George. I honestly have never looked at it. As somebody said, he's not. And I retweeted it. I have 14 million people between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and I retweet things, and we start dialogue and it's very interesting,” Trump said.

The billionaire has threatened to sue Cruz over his eligibility to run for president. Cruz, who was born in Canada to a mother who was an American citizen, has welcomed it.

Later on "This Week," Rubio brushed off Trump's claims.

"Look, this is a pattern. This is a game he plays. He says something that's edgy and outrageous and then the media flocks and covers that and then no one else can get any coverage on anything else," Rubio said. "And that worked when there were 15 people running for president. It's not going to work anymore.

"I'm going to spend zero time on his interpretation of the Constitution with regards to eligibility."

Marc Caputo contributed to this article.

http://www.politico.com/story/2016/0...ibility-219586

Donald Trump muses about Marco Rubio's eligibility to run for president
Published February 21, 2016

Marco Rubio has joined Ted Cruz in Donald Trump’s crosshairs.

Fresh off his Saturday win in the South Carolina Republican primary, Trump said Sunday he didn’t know whether Rubio, a Florida senator who finished second, was eligible to run for president and that “the lawyers have to determine that.”

“I don’t know,” Trump told George Stephanopoulos on ABC’s “This Week.” “I really – I’ve never looked at it, George. I honestly have never looked at it. As somebody said, he’s not. And I retweeted it. I have 14 million people between Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and I retweet things, and we start dialogue and it’s very interesting.”

Rubio brushed aside Trump’s assertions later on “This Week.”

“This is a pattern,” Rubio said. “This is a game he plays. He says something that’s edgy and outrageous and then the media flocks and covers that. And then no one else can get any coverage on anything else.

“And that worked where there were 15 people running for president. It’s not going to work anymore. I’m going to spend zero time on his interpretation of the Constitution with regards to eligibility.”

Trump was questioned on the issue after he retweeted a supporter Saturday who made the allegation and linked to a video from the Powdered Wig Society, a conservative news and commentary website. That video features an unidentified woman claiming someone can only be a “natural-born citizen” if the person’s father was a U.S. citizen.

The Constitution states only a “natural-born citizen” can be president, though it does not explicitly define that phrase.

Rubio, whose parents came to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1950s, was born in Florida in 1971. His parents were not U.S. citizens at the time.

Trump’s musings about Rubio’s eligibility is comparable to how his similar feud began with Cruz, a Texas senator, though that argument has since intensified.

Trump has argued that Cruz, who finished third in South Carolina, may not be a “natural-born citizen” because he was born in Canada, even though his mother was a U.S. citizen at the time of Cruz’s birth.

Numerous legal scholars have said both Cruz and Rubio are considered “natural-born citizens,” though Trump has said other experts disagree.

“I mean, let people make their own determination,” Trump said Sunday.

Similar questions of eligibility dogged previous Republican contenders such as John McCain in 2008, George Romney in 1968 and Barry Goldwater in 1964. McCain was born in Panama, Romney was born in Mexico and Goldwater was born in Arizona before it became an official U.S. state.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016...president.html

Rubio, whose parents came to the U.S. from Cuba in the 1950s, was born in Florida in 1971. His parents were not U.S. citizens at the time.

That disqualifies him under Article II of the US Constitution because a natural born citizen is someone born in the USA to 2 US citizens.

I have not felt the need to look into Rubio's situation just yet, but I do know, according to current law, it is not a requirement for a natural born citizen to be born to two U.S. citizens. Rubio and Cruz's situations are different. Cruz was born to a U.S. citizen who meets all the requirements, as set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, that entitled her child to be a natural born citizen at birth.

A citizen by law is not a natural born citizen under Article II of the Constitution.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! About time someone actually got serious about questioning Rubio!!!!!!!!!

Rubio is an ANCHOR BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Natural born Citizen is a HIGHER form of Citizenship than CITIZEN.......Anchor Babies are Citizens.....But NOT NBC!!!!!!!!!!

Neither one of his parents were Citizens WHEN HE WAS BORN = ANCHOR BABY!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Judy

A citizen by law is not a natural born citizen under Article II of the Constitution.

Cruz is a natural born citizen by law, not just a citizen. Please familiarize yourself with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which was passed into law by the U.S. Congress and signed into law by the President of the United States. The U.S. Constitution is, at best, ambiguous on what constitutes a natural born citizen. Unless the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the issue and rules differently, current law stands.

It's pathetic. This is an example of why we've lost our country. We have people who were never taught, never knew and cant' figure out for themselves what a natural born citizen is even when someone draws them a picture 50 times. You want to believe Cruz is a natural born citizen, have at it. Doesn't change a thing. Americans have known for over 227 years what a natural born citizen is and guess what? We still do.

Natural Born Citizen = Born in the USA to 2 US citizens.

Very simple. Natural born means by blood (citizen parents) and soil (born in the USA).

BIG Thank-you Judy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very simple. Natural born means by blood (citizen parents) and soil (born in the USA).

You're most welcome, grandmasmad!