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What Does the Constitution Mean by ‘Natural Born Citizen’?

The Constitution says that only a “natural born citizen” may be president. Political partisans usually define “natural born” to suit themselves.
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What Does the Constitution Mean by ‘Natural Born Citizen’?
People hold U.S. flags while attending their Naturalization Oath ceremony for U.S. citizenship in Los Angeles, Calif., on May 25, 2022. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Rob Natelson
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Commentary

The Constitution says that only a “natural born citizen” may be president. Throughout history, political partisans have accused opposing candidates of not being “natural born citizens” and thus disqualified.

Rob Natelson
Rob Natelson
Author
Robert G. Natelson, a former constitutional law professor who is senior fellow in constitutional jurisprudence at the Independence Institute in Denver, authored “The Original Constitution: What It Actually Said and Meant” (3rd ed., 2015). He is a contributor to The Heritage Foundation’s “Heritage Guide to the Constitution.”
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