15 lesser-known candidates running for president in 2024
13. Cenk Uygur
Update: Cenk Uygur suspended his campaign on March 6.
Cenk Uygur, co-host of the progressive internet program “The Young Turks” took to X on Oct. 11 to announce that he was “running against Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination.” Uygur cited Biden’s low polling numbers as the justification for his candidacy: “Joe Biden is down 24 points on the economy. He has no ability to make up that kind of ground on the most important issue. We need a new candidate now!”
Yes, I'm running against Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination. Joe Biden is down 24 points on the economy. He has no ability to make up that kind of ground on the most important issue. We need a new candidate now! https://t.co/JdRkmvU9Cy
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) October 12, 2023
Uygur’s presidential announcement was immediately met with a community note from X users noting that because “Cenk Uygur is a naturalised US citizen who was born in Istanbul, Turkey, to Turkish parents,” “he is therefore ineligible to serve as President of the United States as he is not a ‘natural-born citizen’ (i.e. born to American parents or on American soil).”
For his part, Uygur pushed back on the idea that he was ineligible to run, citing the U.S. Supreme Court case Schneider v. Rusk as evidence that “Naturalized citizens can run for President.” Another community note asserted that “Schneider v. Rusk hasn’t been recognized or upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court or any other authoritative legal body in the context of naturalized citizens running for President.”
Case law is clear. Naturalized citizens can run for President: "Schneider is clear that treating natural born citizens and naturalized citizens differently is contrary to the Fifth Amendment. Forbidding naturalized citizens from being president or vice president is a form of…
— Cenk Uygur (@cenkuygur) October 12, 2023
As for his policy proposals, Uygur is prioritizing paid family leave, a $15 minimum wage, abolishing gerrymandering and creating a public option for health insurance.
Ryan Foley is a reporter for The Christian Post. He can be reached at: ryan.foley@christianpost.com
