The Framers’ Definition of a Natural Born Citizen Is Not Based on Race, Color, or Religion
The Framers’ Definition of a Natural Born Citizen Is Not Based on Race, Color, or Religion By Mario Apuzzo, Esq. February 29, 2016 Donald Trump has questioned whether Ted Cruz, born in Canada to a U.S. citizen mother and an alien father, and Marco Rubio, born in the United States to two alien parents, are Article II natural born citizens, which they must be in order to be eligible to be President or Vice-President. Garrett Epps [1] attacks Donald Trump, saying that he is attempting to redefine who is a natural born citizen by basing the clause’s definition on blood and race (he left out religion). He states in The Atlantic: “It’s not coincidental that the targets of these birther libels are the first African American president and the first two credible Latino presidential candidates.” He adds: “In much of the public mind, American citizenship is being redefined into a matter of race and blood, apparently as part of the nostalgia for an imagined golden era ...