The Trump administration can learn a lot from a selfie mirror

Miami Herald

2 days ago

Standing in a cathedral in Rome recently, I watched dozens of people pay one euro to light up the ceiling fresco and take a selfie or film video content with the artwork above, using a mirror that had been strategically placed. To see a place of worship being reduced to an influencer backdrop left me conflicted, especially as someone who got their start in politics doing social media.
At first blush, it struck me as sacrilege with a ring light.
But the longer I sat there in the Chiesa di Sant'Ignazio cathedral, the more I realized: The mirror wasn't cheapening the church, it was inviting people in. People from across the world could experience the beauty of the fresco and create a selfie souvenir while also supporting the church for a small fee.
By giving people a way to preserve the memory and share it with others, the cathedral was creating a connection between an ancient institution and the digital world.
It was a smart thing to do. Adapting with the times is a requirement for successful global engagement. It should be embraced, not resisted. And if the Catholic Church, one of the oldest institutions in the world, can do this, the Trump administration should, too.
As President Donald Trump enacts his America First agenda of cracking down on immigration, increasing tariffs and forcing manufacturing to happen at home, his administration is ignoring a fundamental reality: We cannot retreat from global interconnectedness.
Other institutions are also adapting with the times. Last year, the National Gallery in London partnered with 200 social media content creators to celebrate its 200th anniversary in an effort to exhibit its collection to a wider audience.
Ellie Wyant, social media and community manager for the National Gallery, told The Times, 'A lot of people see art collections as maybe quite stuffy or boring. They question what art that was made hundreds of years ago has to do with them now.'
By embracing influencers, the gallery gives a broad audience a chance to interact with the art and see for themselves.
The Louvre in Paris did something similar by embracing celebrity endorsements. In 2018, Beyoncé and Jay-Z filmed their music video 'Apesh*t' in the Louvre standing in front of world-famous masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and Venus de Milo. The museum capitalized on the exposure and created a tour based on the couple's music video. That year, the museum set a world record in attendance, with 10.2 million visitors.
From Sant'Ignazio to the National Gallery to the Louvre, these institutions haven't diluted their missions, they've met the audience where it is and maintained relevance.
If a Jesuit cathedral can install a selfie mirror and the Louvre can curate a Beyoncé and Jay-Z tour, the Trump administration can engage globally while putting American interests first.
Critics worry that adapting means America must abandon its principles. That's not true. Creating a selfie mirror in a cathedral or embracing the power of celebrity for a world-famous museum merely helped new audiences engage with those institutions.
Trump has always understood the need to adapt to the times, especially with his use of social media. But as a policymaker of late, Trump seems to prefer blunt instruments — trade wars and tariffs — and bullying tactics to force outcomes in America's favor.
However, advancing and protecting American prosperity and security is better achieved through engagement than retreat. That requires finding ways to advance America's interest abroad without starting trade wars with our allies. And that means meeting people where they are, even if that's a selfie backdrop.
While I didn't stand in line to take a selfie in the mirror at Sant'Ignazio, it taught me a valuable lesson, worth more than one euro. In a world where digital attention is a form of currency, the winners will be institutions that adapt — and capitalize on change — rather than fear it.
America should be one of them.
Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: [e-mail]