Republican Presidential frontrunner Donald Trump made another audacious claim today regarding Senator Ted Cruz’s “lies” during Saturday night’s Republican Debate on CBS. Trump said, once again, he will sue Cruz if he doesn’t “take down his false ads and retract his lies.” But will he really? This is not the first time Trump has made an inflammatory threat of litigation over Cruz’s Canadian-birth and the question of whether Cruz is a “natural born citizen.” In fact, he has made repeated threats. How many? LawNewz.com went digging to find out:
- Today. Trump re-ignited his promise to sue the Texas conservative if he doesn’t temper the “false lies” he accuses Cruz of making in attack ads running in the next Republican primary state: South Carolina. In Trump-like fashion, his ultimatum was accompanied by a few insults in which he called Cruz a “liar” and “totally unstable.”
- Friday, February 12th. On Friday, the Donald took to Twitter—where else—to claim that he does in fact have standing to sue Ted Cruz over the yet-to-be-litigated question of the interpretation of the “natural born citizen” requirement in the U.S. Constitution. While Trump may have standing, that legal question is as nebulous as the eligibility claim he is making about Cruz.
- Wednesday, February 3rd. The day after a disappointing loss in the Iowa Caucus, Trump said he would probably sue over the results amid claims that the Cruz campaign sent out shady mailers to Iowa voters.
- Saturday, January 23rd. At a campaign rally in Sioux Falls, Iowa, Trump floated the idea of a lawsuit against Cruz to his elated supporters, asking, “Should I just do it for fun?” Trump added, “”Ugh, I’m so good at that stuff,” apparently referencing his unique ability to bring lawsuits.
- Sunday, January 17th. After appearing on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos in January, Trump revealed that he may file a lawsuit against Ted Cruz and his presidential eligibility, remarking, “When I file suits, I file real suits.” This, as opposed to fake suits.
Well so far no suits, real or fake, from Trump himself, which makes you wonder whether Trump is all political bark with no legal bite.
[h/t RawStory/CNN/Deadline]
