Sorry, trolls: The US political tradition does indeed spring from the Roman Republic

A smattering of journalists and political commentators mocked the president this week after he boasted accurately that the United States and Italy share a political heritage that can be traced all the way back to Ancient Rome.

“The United States and Italy are bound together by a shared cultural and political heritage dating back thousands of years to Ancient Rome,” said Trump during a joint press conference with Italian President Sergio Mattarella. “Over the centuries, the Italian people have blessed our civilization with magnificent works of art, science, philosophy, architecture, and music.”