WASHINGTON, Aug. 14 (UPI) -- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., has declined to question the eligibility of a potential political rival, saying, "I'm not a birther."
Paul is a potential candidate for the 2016 GOP presidential nomination, along with Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, The Hill reported Wednesday.
Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and a Cuban-born father.
"You won't find me questioning his eligibility," Paul said in an interview on CNN." I decided a long time ago I wasn't going to be a birther for Democrats. I'm not a birther for Republicans. I'm just staying out of that one."
Both candidates are popular with Tea Party groups, some of who had questioned President Obama's eligibility for office during his 2008 campaign. They claimed he was born in Kenya, although official birth records indicate he was born in Hawaii.
The U.S. Constitution requires all presidents to be natural-born citizens.
