Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump Donald John TrumpHR McMaster says president's policy to withdraw troops from Afghanistan is 'unwise' Cast of 'Parks and Rec' reunite for virtual town hall to address Wisconsin voters Biden says Trump should step down over coronavirus response MORE on Thursday threatened to bring a lawsuit challenging rival Ted Cruz Rafael (Ted) Edward CruzLoeffler calls for hearing in wake of Netflix's 'Cuties' Health care in the crosshairs with new Trump Supreme Court list 'Parks and Rec' cast members hosting special reunion to raise money for Wisconsin Democrats MORE’s eligibility to serve as president — unless the Texas senator “clean[s] up his act.”

“If [Ted Cruz] doesn’t clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen,” Trump said in a tweet.

If @TedCruz doesn’t clean up his act, stop cheating, & doing negative ads, I have standing to sue him for not being a natural born citizen. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 12, 2016

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Trump promised at a January GOP presidential debate not to sue Cruz over the issue.

“I’m not bringing a lawsuit,” he said. “I promise. But the Democrats are going to bring a lawsuit.”

The billionaire businessman’s comments come after several of his supporters filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Cruz’s presidential run.

Cruz, a constitutional lawyer and former Texas solicitor general, has maintained that he is eligible to be president, noting the distinction between naturalized and natural-born citizen.

He was born in Canada to an American mother and Cuban father.



Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states “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.”