The Past Is Never Really Past: America and Rome

Many signers of our Constitution admired the Republican ideals of the Romans. “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States,” 1940, Howard Chandler Christy. United States Capitol. Public Domain

Ignorance may be bliss, but it can also be downright embarrassing.

Earlier this month, President Donald Trump met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. The Washington Examiner reported that during a press conference, Trump had noted historic ties to the ancient city, saying, “‘The United States and Italy are bound together by a shared cultural and political heritage dating back thousands of years to ancient Rome.’”