Ted Cruz has faced some criticism in his White House bid about his birth in Canada. But would some other famous people face the same scrutiny as Cruz, if they ran for President?
One debate over Cruz’s eligibility centers on a clause in the Constitution’s Article I, which reads, “No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President.”
Since the words “natural born citizen” weren’t precisely defined in the Constitution, there has been a continuing debate over the presidential status of a candidate born overseas, and in some cases, a candidate born in the United States with at least one non-citizen parent.
The 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause is interpreted to automatically grant United States citizenship to anyone born on American soil with few exceptions, such as the children of foreign diplomats or foreign com. Still, there was a debate over Barack Obama’s candidate status, since he was born in Hawaii with his mother as an American citizen.
Here’s a quick look at 10 fairly well-known folks who could be eligible to run for President, now or in the future.
1. Nicole Kidman – The actress with the Australian accent was actually born in Hawaii, to two Australian parents who were students in Honolulu.
2. Amy Adams – Another well-known actress, Adams was born in Italy, where her American father was stationed in the military.
3. Mel Gibson – The actor was born in Peekskill, New York and moved to Australia when he was 12 years old.
4. Rep. Tammy Duckworth – Duckworth was born in Thailand in 1968. Her father was a Marine Corps veteran and U.S. citizen; her mother was from Thailand.
5. Joaquin Phoenix– The actor was born in Puerto Rico to parents who were U.S. citizens.
6. Martin Lawrence– The actor was born in Germany to U.S. parents who were in the military.
7. Sen. Michael Bennet –The U.S. Senator from Colorado was born in India, where his father was stationed as an American diplomat.
8. Sienna Miller – The actress was born in New York City, where her father was an American art dealer. She moved to England as an infant.
9. Andrew Garfield – The “Spiderman” actor was born in Los Angeles, but moved to Great Britain when he was three years old.
10. Bindi Irwn – The “Dancing With The Stars” winner is just 17 years old, and a few years away from any potential presidential run. Her mother, Terri Irwin, is from United States. In 2009, Terri Irwin changed her citizenship to Australian.
