A staggering rejection of Bernie Moreno's push to ban dual citizenship: The Readers Write

[Diamond_Dog]

Last edited Sat Dec 6, 2025, 06:48 PM - Edit history (1)

Poll from Cleveland Plain Dealer respondents roundly rejects Moreno’s proposal of ending dual citizenship.

********

Chris Quinn, editor, Cleveland.com:
When I sent a weekday morning text this week to the 3,655 people who subscribe to my free Subtext messages, I expected strong opinions. I did not expect a record.

The topic was a proposal by U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno of Ohio to outlaw dual citizenship — forcing anyone with two passports to choose one or risk losing U.S. citizenship. Within a day, 790 people responded.
That made it the most-responded-to text I’ve sent in 2025. The reactions were immediate, emotional and overwhelmingly one-sided. They came from lifelong Ohioans, children and grandchildren of immigrants, people with dual citizenship and people who wish they had it. They were, with a handful of exceptions, sharply opposed to Moreno’s idea.

What struck me most was how personal the responses were. This wasn’t an abstract policy debate for readers. It was about heritage, family, fear, pride, loyalty, mobility and freedom — about who we are in a country that has always told its story as a nation of newcomers. Readers didn’t hedge. They were blunt. Some were furious. Some were reflective. Many asked the same question I did: What problem is this supposed to solve?

(snip)

Breakdown of responses:

“What problem is this supposed to solve?”

The most common reaction, by far, was bafflement. Readers struggled to understand why, if Moreno genuinely offered this idea in good faith, dual citizenship had become a priority for him.

“How does that make this country better?”“What is his point?”“I don’t understand this. Seems to be trying to make an issue where none exists.”“This would not even make the top 1,000 issues Congress should be focused on.”“With everything going on in the country and the world, is this really the best he can come up with?”

“Doesn’t Bernie have more important legislation to be concerned about, such as health care?”“Housing affordability, hunger, skyrocketing health insurance premiums — and this is what he’s working on?”“Why isn’t he focused on issues that actually help people?”“Shouldn’t he be working on health care?”

“Being proud of your Irish/Mexican/Korean heritage doesn’t mean you aren’t proud to be American.”“You can love America and still love where your family came from.”“It’s like being asked to choose which parent you love.”“We are a nation of immigrants. That should be celebrated, not discouraged.”

More in Full article
https://www.cleveland.com/news/2025/12/a-staggering-rejection-of-bernie-morenos-push-to-ban-dual-citizenship-the-readers-write.html

****** Moreno’s family emigrated to the United States from Colombia when he was around age 5 and he did not become a citizen until the age of 18.

Another tone deaf out of touch republican.

[doc03]

1. When he was running he was accused of being financed by family in Colombia. nt

[Diamond_Dog]

2. It's OK if you are a Republican....

[sheshe2]

3. Some really spot on responses there.

Good on all that commented to Moreno.

[Diamond_Dog]

4. I agree sheshe2

“Making an issue where none exists” is a special talent for right wing politicians.

[slightlv]

5. It's all they've got...

P2025, a successor to PNAC, was written to create the ideal republican/oligarch Utopia. They tried it first in Iraq, firing all the government workers, just like trump did here. They dissolved entire government departments... just like trump did here. Instead of using locals with forward thinking ideas and policies, they kicked everyone like that far from the government and installed no-nothings who only had the PNAC credo on their mind. Well... that and the pallets of American currency shipped into the country... only to disappear. BTW... we've NEVER gotten an accounting as to where all those billions of dollar bills went!

We are no longer a country with a government. We are a country being ruled by ideology, written down for all to see and read PRIOR to the last prez election. How stupid people were not to think it wouldn't be implemented? Damn... I don't think there's much more dumbing down that can be done in the U.S.

[Beartracks]

6. "I don't think there's much more dumbing down"... We thought that LAST time, too. :/

[BidenRocks]

7. People with no understanding how government works vote for him.

The assault on our education system started with Reagan and as a result, Schoolhouse Rock is over their heads!

Right Bill?

[moniss]

8. I would ask however

where does it end? How many different countries is one person allowed to have for citizenship? Is it only 2? Why? If my ancestry is spread across 8 different European countries why can't I have citizenship in all 8? If not then maybe 3? Maybe 4? Why? So where is the line and why is the line where it is? What prevents crooks in the US from obtaining citizenship in a country that has no extradition treaty with the US and then running there to escape justice here for their crimes? On what basis could they be denied getting that citizenship before doing their crimes?

What if I'm an orphan and I don't know my ancestry? Does that mean I can't have multi-citizenship like everybody else has a right to? Why? Doesn't that run afoul of equal protection? Shouldn't I get to choose other countries I want? Why not?

What happens when someone is shifting their location of residence around and only coming back to the US for certain financial benefits? What about voting? Do you get to vote in every country? What about taxes as things get shifted all over back and forth? Is it OK for people to shift their income claims to one country that has way lower taxes even though they hardly ever/never go there? How do we control that?

If you are a US citizen as well as another country and the US declares a ban on travel for citizens of that country does that mean your travel is impacted? If not then why? If the travel ban is to counter terrorism couldn't you be a terrorist as well despite your US citizenship?

The point here is that there are a lot of aspects and questions to this and discussion of them isn't served because of some guy with a blog or whatever spouting knee-jerk reactions. Moreno is probably as awful as the rest of the GQP but this subject deserves serious thought and discussion which I doubt will come from Moreno or from Chris Quinn. I sense that both likely have an absolutist agenda and position that won't be interested in the hard work of resolving any of the issues I mentioned and probably many more scenarios than that.

[Random Boomer]

10. Your lack of knowledge is not an insightful comment

None of the speculations you posted appear to be grounded in knowledge of how dual citizenship works. It's like you just pulled a dozen highly exaggerated improbable scenarios out of your hat and shook them at us.

Dual citizenship is not a new idea. It exists now, in the modern age, and has done so for decades, without anything you cited creating any difficulties.

What has changed to make you feel we have a problem in search of a new policy solution? Why are you suddenly so alarmed by the current state of affairs that you feel we need to end a perfectly reasonable and functioning arrangement?

[moniss]

13. Your lack of ability to perceive what I'm talking about

shows the dogma surrounding this and why it generates such knee-jerk reactions within people. I am not talking some "sudden" perception of a problem that needs some high priority attention. Your claim, based on no evidence cited, that dual citizenship has never posed problems is therefore worth nothing.

As I said there are issues to consider and thoughtful people do discuss them as indicated to this article I'm linking that discusses the pros and cons, advantages and risks of dual citizenship. It does not, like so many approaching this subject, foam at the mouth in one direction or the other. As I said you won't get anything but rabid agenda from either the Moreno side or the Quinn side.

https://www.globalcitizensolutions.com/pros-and-cons-of-dual-citizenship/#what-are-the-cons-of-dual-citizenship

[Xipe Totec]

19. Your link shows the pros and cons of dual citizenship to the individual, not to the country

So again, what problem does removing dual citizenship solve?

[moniss]

21. I'll make this simple for you.

Nowhere did I oppose dual citizenship. I stated that there are serious questions about aspects that need serious discussion. I stand by that and find nothing of use in any further response to you. Stop reading intent into things that are not there. Look at the other link I posted to Diamond Dog to see what I mean about serious people having serious discussion about aspects of this matter. Nobody likes Moreno, least of all me, but I also don't like rabid knee-jerk reaction to saying there should be serious discussion on serious aspects of any issue including this one.

[Xipe Totec]

23. You have me confused with somebody else - talk about knee jerk. nt

[VMA131Marine]

28. You keep saying

There are serious aspects that need to be discussed seriously without actually naming any that aren’t ridiculous strawmen.

I have family in the US and UK. It’s incredibly useful to be able to go to the UK as a dual citizen because I don’t have to worry about getting travel authorisation going in either direction nor overstaying the maximum time usually allowed for tourists. I suspect most people make use of multiple citizenships this way.

Further, it’s estimated that between 10 and 20% of American Jews have dual U.S. and Israeli citizenship; the number is possibly even higher. Do you have a problem with that?

Finally, how would this be enforced without it being incredibly intrusive. Are you going to force everyone to report all their citizenships? I just traveled back to the UK. I entered the UK on my British passport and came back into the US on my American one. If I don’t report that there’s no way for anyone else to know.

[moniss]

29. If you would read the links I provided

you would see that legal firms that deal in this area also say there are serious things for people to consider regarding dual citizenship. But of course you know more than they do so we'll just accept anything you say.

[VMA131Marine]

30. Name two serious things

Instead of just saying there are serious things to consider. The first things you mentioned are not serious.

Or, keep being vague so you don’t have to have a substantive discussion. And I certainly know more about this than you do. Troll!

[moniss]

31. Obviously you didn't read the material at either of the links I posted

which is part of where the answer to your question lies. As I said I believe that people who are professionals dealing in the law on these issues know more than you do. You don't seem to think so and so you choose to call me a name as though you were over on one of your more "intelligent" sites doing some "bro" argument. If you wish to disagree with the material I linked then fine. It is ignorant to ask a question of someone, have them point you to the answer, refuse to look at the material and then name call them.

[VMA131Marine]

34. Obvious troll ...

is obvious.

[Diamond_Dog]

15. First of all, Chris Quinn isn't "some guy with a blog or whatever posting knee jerk reactions "

Quinn is a respected and seasoned journalist from one of Ohio’s largest newspapers, having worked at the Cleveland Plain Dealer for 17 years. He has overseen major investigations of corruption, serial killings, school shootings,use of excessive force by Cleveland Police, among other occurrences.The question he posed to subscribers was framed in a non partisan way. I think it’s worth noting how intense the backlash was against Moreno’s proposal, being that Ohio is a very red state and that Moreno never held any other public office before Trump - he was busy selling luxury cars to wealthy folk when Trump and his wealthy buddies tapped him as Vance’s replacement. Moreno’s family came here from Colombia when Moreno was a child, so you’d think he might have an idea about being proud of one’s heritage, which apparently he does not.

Sure, it’s fair to ask what his reasoning for this proposal is. But, being that Moreno is one of Trump’s biggest cheerleaders and bootlickers, I doubt he’s serious about anything other than pleasing Trump.

[Marthe48]

17. Well said!

Moreno stiffed his employees and they had to take him to court to get money they earned as his employees. Plenty of information out that that he is another low-life that floats to the surface in these times. He got into office, he'll leave a skid mark, and get out as soon as he's vested. Or if he gets an offer of dean of a university, or is offered a cabinet position.

[Diamond_Dog]

20. TY Marthe48. Everything you said is true.

[moniss]

18. Posting reactions

to an article is hardly some thought out representative sample of the population. Secondly I think you and some other person seem to think I am supposedly pushing for Moreno or something or for eliminating dual citizenship. I'm not and nowhere in my post did I do anything other than say there are issues to be seriously discussed and I highlighted some of those questions. If someone seriously read what I posted you would see where I described what I think about Moreno and it is hardly supportive of anything about him.

As far as Quinn goes I could care less what he has been or what positions he holds. None of that means he approached this subject in a thoughtful manner rather than just to go after this jerky GQP politician or perhaps Quinn has an agenda that is pro dual citizenship. The facts are that I pointed out questions that arise and I said there needs to be thoughtful discussion. If you or someone else think they don't arise then you are ignorant of those who consult in finance and law in this subject of dual citizenship. I linked to one site in response to someone and I will add another here. Stop reading intent into a situation when people simply pose questions.

https://kodemlaw.com/immigration/dual-citizenship-explained-legal-complexities-of-holding-u-s-and-foreign-citizenship/

[Escurumbele]

9. There is no country called "Columbia", it is Colombia - C-O-L-O-M-B-I-A

It is a common mistake people make, but I know Colombians would like to have their country referred to correctly.

These people are petty, all they do all day is think in ways to hurt people, even if it is in the most absurd idea, like this guy Moreno...republicans don't know how to fix things, all they know is how to destroy, their brains are fried, they really are insane, its like these people have carried a lot of anger inside for years and now they have been given permission to take it on other people. They really are psychotic, totally insane. Or maybe, when they look at themselves in a mirror they don't like what they see, and they just have to take it against other people.

[Diamond_Dog]

11. Thanks for the spell check. I fixed it in my post.

[SouthBayDem]

12. These letter writers, sadly, are outnumbered as shown by the Ohio election results.

In spring 2024, polling showed that voters who got their news from newspapers were overwhelmingly Biden supporters, by nearly 50 points. In contrast, voters who relied on social media (where the information could come from a real reporter, or some troll farm in Abuja) were slightly more for Trump.

[Blumancru]

14. No chance this becomes law IMHO

Too many wealthy MAGA donors have dual citizenship.

[Diamond_Dog]

16. Mel and Barron have dual citizenship - American and Slovenian.

[Pisces]

27. All those New Zealand dual citizenships for their end of the world getaways

[Red Mountain]

22. Yeah......fuck these people

We're a nation of immigrants.

Not renouncing your ancestral ties doesn't make you a lesser American........it just makes you American.

We're unique. Why throw that away?

[Conjuay]

24. The way Trump is making such a pariah of the US

I would feel much safer traveling with a non-American passport.

[BidenRocks]

25. Nice distraction, Moreno.

EPSTEIN!

[KS Toronado]

26. I know why Sen. Bernie Moreno is doing this stupid shit

Tariffman has some devious scheme up his sleeve and he didn't want his name attached to it so he
told Moreno to do his dirty work.

[Initech]

32. Bernie Moreno is fucking deranged?

Another asshole brought to us by the Fox Squawk Box

[Xolodno]

33. How would that even be enforced?

We already don't largely recognize dual (or more) citizenship already. And if we made this law, most nations aren't going to give us a list. It would be purely volunteer...which I think most would not comply with.

Nothing more than a distraction.