# Ted Cruz abandons his Canadian political ambitions **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443 "2014-08-13T15:35:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/1 "2014-08-13T15:35:03Z")
Well, it’s official now: Ted Cruz has given up on his dream of Canadian politics and becoming Her Majesty’s Prime Minister of Canada. He’s renounced his Canadian citizenship and will presumably settle for a shot become President of the US: [Ted Cruz, Tea Party favourite, renounces Canadian citizenship](http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ted-cruz-tea-party-favourite-renounces-canadian-citizenship-1.2671479) Previous threads on topic: [Is Ted Cruz Canadian?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704689) [Is Ted Cruz an Alien?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=704092) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/2 "2014-08-13T15:36:41Z")
He’s already more powerful as the Speaker of the House. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/3 "2014-08-13T15:37:58Z")
Here I thunk one of the requirements was being born in the USA to be presidunce. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/4 "2014-08-13T15:47:05Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > Here I thunk one of the requirements was being born in the USA to be presidunce. You have to be a citizen at birth - his mother was American - so he qualifies. My husband was born overseas to American citizens - the location of his birth doesn’t disqualify him. Otherwise, anyone born to American servicemen (well, women, or the wives of servicemen) while overseas would be ineligible. On the other hand, my son was born in South Korea, but adopted when he was six months old - he is a naturalized citizen and does not qualify - despite his parents being American (and its a good thing, you don’t want my son to be president - you might want him to mow your lawn, but that’s about it). ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/5 "2014-08-13T16:03:15Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > Here I thunk one of the requirements was being born in the USA to be presidunce. No, the requirement is being born under circumstances that grant the right of US citizenship from birth. Cruz was born under circumstances that would have also granted the right to Canadian citizenship at birth, a choice he would need to declare before reaching the age of (I think) 24. If no formal declaration is made by the age of 24, his factual citizenship would be based on his residence at the time, either USA or Canada, or if neither of those, then the country whose passport he was using. There can be further complications, but broadly, that is how citizenship is normally resolved. While Cruz renounced his Canadian status, he wouldn’t have needed to, because he has long since exercised his natural birthright to be a\* de facto \*American, and Canada would not have recognized his late claim… Furthermore, I don’t think “natural born” is a required condition to be Canadian Prime Minister. Any legal citizen of Canada can hold any public office. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/6 "2014-08-13T16:15:29Z")
In fact, 41 Members of Parliament in Canada and ten Senators were born outside Canada (six of them in the USA),. Any of the MPs could have been internally elected head of their party’s delegation, and thus Prime Miniister. Nearly all of those foreign-born MPs were elected in the past 20 years. So Cruz couls still go back and fast track to Canadian citizenship, and become Prime minister of Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/7 "2014-08-13T16:17:33Z")
That is not correct. There is no requirement under Canadian law to exercise a right of citizenship, if you’re born in Canada, as Cruz was. He didn’t have to claim it before a certain age; he always was a citizen. ETA: this post is in response to post # 5. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/8 "2014-08-13T16:23:04Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > That is not correct. There is no requirement under Canadian law to exercise a right of citizenship, if you’re born in Canada, as Cruz was. He didn’t have to claim it before a certain age; he always was a citizen. I believe you are right, and what I said applies only to a claim to US citizenship by a person with a Canadian entitlement. I stand corrected. If Cruz, at the age of 24, had been living in Canada as a Canadian, he would lose his right to declare US citizenship, but not the other way around. Here is a list of Canadian MPs who were born without Canadian nationality claims, but were elected to Parliament: [http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/Parliament/BornOutsideCanada.aspx?Country=&Current=True&Menu=HOC-Bio&Show=MP&SortColumn=PartyName&SortDirection=ASC](http://www.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Compilations/Parliament/BornOutsideCanada.aspx?Country=&Current=True&Menu=HOC-Bio&Show=MP&SortColumn=PartyName&SortDirection=ASC) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/9 "2014-08-13T16:23:23Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > So Cruz couls still go back and fast track to Canadian citizenship, and become Prime minister of Canada. I’m starting to think you didn’t read the linked article: Cruz has formally abandoned his Canadian citizenship, following the process required under Canadian law. The federal government wouldn’t approve a renunciation of citizenship if he was not a citizen, as you appear to be arguing. And, since Cruz has abandoned his citizenship, he cannot now fast-track acquiring it. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/10 "2014-08-13T16:44:48Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > No, the requirement is being born under circumstances that grant the right of US citizenship from birth. Cruz was born under circumstances that would have also granted the right to Canadian citizenship at birth, a choice he would need to declare before reaching the age of (I think) 24. If no formal declaration is made by the age of 24, his factual citizenship would be based on his residence at the time, either USA or Canada, or if neither of those, then the country whose passport he was using. There can be further complications, but broadly, that is how citizenship is normally resolved. This is factually incorrect. There is no need to choose. My parents told me this same lie\*, only with “18” or “21” (I no longer remember) instead of 24. 20+ years on, I am still both Canadian and American. You do not renounce citizenship by failing to claim it: if you hold citizenship, you hold citizenship. \*Technically, it’s a legend rather than a lie, but I wanted to condemn it in stronger terms. Edit: for clarification, I was born in America to a Canadian parent, exactly the opposite of Cruz’s claim. I did not register for my Canadian citizenship until I was 27, in part due to accepting my parents’ erroneous belief. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/11 "2014-08-13T16:49:48Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > This is factually incorrect. There is no need to choose. My parents told me this same lie\*, only with “18” or “21” (I no longer remember) instead of 24. 20+ years on, I am still both Canadian and American. You do not renounce citizenship by failing to claim it: if you hold citizenship, you hold citizenship. > > \*Technically, it’s a legend rather than a lie, but I wanted to condemn it in stronger terms. > > Edit: for clarification, I was born in America to a Canadian parent, exactly the opposite of Cruz’s claim. I did not register for my Canadian citizenship until I was 27, in part due to accepting my parents’ erroneous belief. Two of my sons were born in Canada and had a claim to US citizenship through me, and the facts I have presented were clearly stated in documents from the US government as being relevant at the time. Which was in the 1980s. Their status was similar to that of Mr. Cruz, whom, on the strength of his father, could also exercise Cuban citizenship if he wanted to, and maybe better renounce that, too… ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/12 "2014-08-13T17:03:13Z")
I’m really curious now. Can you recall what type of documents these were, or better yet, find an example? I can believe that consular staff communicated the belief, because the US used to say that you couldn’t be a dual citizen (while keeping silent on how they planned to enfore this). My own research was in the 1990s, so not long after your experience. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/13 "2014-08-13T17:34:23Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He’s already more powerful as the Speaker of the House. I see what you did there. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/14 "2014-08-13T18:08:10Z")
God help us all. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/15 "2014-08-13T18:16:23Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > I’m really curious now. Can you recall what type of documents these were, or better yet, find an example? I can believe that consular staff communicated the belief, because the US used to say that you couldn’t be a dual citizen (while keeping silent on how they planned to enfore this). My own research was in the 1990s, so not long after your experience. No, I can’t. My sons, born in Canada, were living with me and their Canadian mother in the USA. I made inquiry, and was informed, a written policy sheet, that if they returned to Canada and remained there living as Canadians well into their adulthood (age 24 sticks in my mind), and made no formal declaration to the USA to confirm their wish to be American citizens, they would relinquish their right to do so at a later date and be deemed Canadian. Of course, it is possible that I misread the rule at the time. The effort it would take to recover it at this time would be gargantuan, vis-a-vis the trivial need to do so. This is an opinion forum (of mundane pointless stuff), and I gave you mine, and told you, in good faith, why I harbor that opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/16 "2014-08-13T18:20:53Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > This is an opinion forum (of mundane pointless stuff), and I gave you mine, and told you, in good faith, why I harbor that opinion. No problem. I was unnecessarily hostile in the first post, and that probably coloured the later question. I’m sorry about that. The whole Ted Cruz scenario itself is evidence that opinions on dual citizenship are one matter, and the law another: there is no reason for Cruz to renounce his Canadian citizenship other than people’s beliefs that it’s somehow wrong or unamerican to hold dual citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/17 "2014-08-13T18:38:48Z")
… and Cruz’s desire to get their votes by pandering to them rather than educating them. ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2014, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ted-cruz-abandons-his-canadian-political-ambitions/695443/18 "2014-08-14T03:52:22Z")
I can assure you we Canadians do not want Cruz back, nor do we care that he had no pride in his Canadian citizenship. I don’t think he is going to ever be president of the US no matter .