Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. HOMEPAGE

Crowd boos Donald Trump during epic showdown with Ted Cruz over Canadian birth issue

US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and real-estate tycoon Donald Trump sparred extensively during the early portion of Thursday night's Republican presidential debate over Cruz's birth in Canada.

Advertisement

Trump has in recent weeks repeatedly brought up questions about Cruz's eligibility to run for president, as Cruz has surged in polls of the first-caucus state of Iowa.

donald trump ted cruz
Fox Business/screenshot

When asked about the issue by Fox moderator Neil Cavuto, Cruz accused "my friend Donald" of questioning his eligibility for president only because of that fact — and because the real-estate mogul's poll numbers had been sinking.

"Back in September, my friend Donald said he had his lawyer look at this from every which way and there was no issue there. There was nothing to this 'birther' issue. Since September, the Constitution hasn't changed. But the poll numbers have," Cruz said to whistles and cheers from the crowd.

"And I recognize that Donald is dismayed that his poll numbers are falling in Iowa," he added. "But the facts and the law here are really quite clear."

Advertisement

Cruz then described why many legal scholars thought he was clearly eligible to be president: Because the Texas senator's mother was American at the time of his birth. Cruz said some of what he called the more "extreme" theories on the internet argued that a potential president must have two US parents to qualify for the Oval Office.

"On the issue of citizenship, Donald, I'm not going to use your mother's birth against you," he quipped.

Trump responded by touting his poll numbers. But he was booed while citing a new NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll, published earlier Thursday, that gave him a 13-point national lead over Cruz. The businessman claimed that the crowd was booing Cruz, not him.

"You have a big lawsuit over your head while you're running," Trump said. "And if you become the nominee, who the hell knows if you can even serve in office."

Advertisement

Cruz, a former Texas solicitor general who has argued cases before the US Supreme Court, dismissed Trump's ability to argue legal issues with him.

"I've spent my entire life defending the Constitution before the US Supreme Court," Cruz said. "And I'll tell you, I'm not going to be taking legal advice from Donald Trump."

He also earned laughter by joking to offer to name Trump as his vice-presidential nominee. Cruz said if he were disqualified from the presidency, Trump then could take over at the top of the ticket.

Watch their exchange below:

 

Donald Trump Ted Cruz
Advertisement
Close icon Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Jump to

  1. Main content
  2. Search
  3. Account