On Monday, the co-hosts of The View had a vigorous debate surrounding Ted Cruz’s presidential bid and guest host Michelle Collins took the discussion one step further by declaring to be a “Ted Cruz birther” and asked to “see the birth certificate.”
The heated discussion began with Collins asking “He [Ted Cruz] was not born in America. He was born in Canada. So how can he run -- how can he run for president? I actually don't get it. I know he has to go to court.”
Unfortunately, no one on the panel, including conservative co-host Nicolle Wallace, bothered to explain that because Ted Cruz’s mother was born in the United States, he is in fact a natural born citizen and thus eligible to run for president.
Instead, the co-hosts went into a lengthy discussion about birtherism with Rosie Perez and Whoopi Goldberg both falsely accusing Ted Cruz of being a birther himself when in fact the senator has never questioned President Obama’s citizenship.
After Wallace argued that Cruz being born in Canada was “the least of his problems” Rosie Perez went one step further and began smearing the GOP senator:
For you [Nicolle Wallace] to say as a Republican that him not being born in this country is the least of his problems is insane. Insane. I love you darling, but with the birthers and all of that stuff, they've made it a huge issue.
Whoopi Goldberg then launched into an erratic rant directed at the 2016 presidential candidate and concluded the segment by daring Cruz to release his birth certificate:
It has come up before for this very reason because he's one of the people that said, well, he should -- the president -- well, Hun, you know -- I want to see your birth certificate. And you're a mixed, gentleman, right? You are mixed. I want to know, are you talking for the Cuban side or the white side. What are you talking for? See, now, when we turn it around, it's not very nice. It’s not very nice.
So, luckily we have better stuff to concentrate on than where you were born, Ted. But do know that we are aware of some of the things you've said and maybe being Cuban is part of it, I'll give her that, but some of this is ignorance. I don't know if you're the president, but maybe he's the guy. Run and we'll see.
See relevant transcript below.
ABC’s The View
March 23, 2015
MICHELLE COLLINS: Can I ask you a question about Ted Cruz?
NICOLLE WALLACE: Sure.
COLLINS: He was not born in America. He was born in Canada.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: What?
COLLINS: So how can he run -- how can he run for president? I actually don't get it. I know he has to go to court.
WALLACE: That's going to be the least of his problems.ROSIE PEREZ: Least of his problems?
GOLDBERG: Not if I have anything to do with it. I’m looking forward to this Ted.
WALLACE: Ted Cruz has a lot of support in the Republican Party. There are people in the Republican Party who feel like Republicans like me have not been tough enough, and he speaks to them.
COLLINS: I'm a Ted Cruz birther. I want to see the birth certificate.
PEREZ: For you to say as a Republican that him not being born in this country is the least of his problems is insane. Insane. I love you darling, but with the birthers and all of that stuff, they've made it a huge issue.
WALLACE: I actually don't know where he was born, and I never asked where.
PEREZ: I did not know that. I did not know that.
GOLDBERG: It has come up before for this very reason because he's one of the people that said, well, he should -- the president -- well, Hun, you know --WALLACE: Whoopi wants to see your birth certificate.
GOLDBERG: I do. I want to see your birth certificate. And you're a mixed, gentleman, right? You are mixed. I want to know, are you talking for the Cuban side or the white side. What are you talking for? See, now, when we turn it around, it's not very nice. It’s not very nice.So, luckily we have better stuff to concentrate on than where you were born, Ted. But do know that we are aware of some of the things you've said and maybe being Cuban is part of it, I'll give her that, but some of this is ignorance. I don't know if you're the president, but maybe he's the guy. Run and we'll see.
WALLACE: Add politics. And a lot of it is politics.
GOLDBERG: Yes.
WALLACE: I think the serious critique
GOLDBERG: So many of them -- I'm not
