Coulter: Cruz is not a natural born citizen

by Jonathan Easley - 01/06/16 12:32 PM ET

Conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who has been supporting Donald Trump for president, took to Twitter on Wednesday to declare that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is not a natural born U.S. citizen.

Same lawyers who said anchor babies are in the Constitution now tell us being born outside U.S to 1 American parent = natural born citizen.

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 6, 2016

NYT: Cruz was born outside the U.S. to 1 American parent: “Under the Constitution this makes him a ‘natural born citizen.’” Absolutely false

— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 6, 2016

Coulter joins Trump in questioning whether Cruz can legally be president.

“Republicans are going to have to ask themselves the question: ‘Do we want a candidate who could be tied up in court for two years?’ That’d be a big problem,” Trump told The Washington Post on Tuesday.

The U.S. Constitution states that to be eligible for the White House, one must be a “natural born citizen.” That’s long been interpreted to include anyone born to a U.S. citizen, even outside the country.

Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and Cuban father. For years he held dual U.S.-Canada citizenship. The Texas Republican renounced his Canadian citizenship after he became a U.S. senator.

Cruz has laughed off the suggestion he’s not eligible for the White House, taking to Twitter on Tuesday to post a link from the television show “Happy Days” that shows the character Fonzie on water skis jumping over a shark.