George Washington University no longer requiring history majors to take US history course

WASHINGTON - One of President-elect Donald Trump's top aides is raising questions about the elimination of a requirement for history students at George Washington University.

Kellyanne Conway, who served as Trump’s campaign manager during his campaign and was announced last week that she will become the White House counselor for the Trump administration, took to Twitter Wednesday morning to take issue with a report that the university is lifting its requirement for history majors to take a U.S. history course.

Critics like national radio host Larry Elder said this move is dangerous because he believes students are arriving at college from high schools without a balance education in American history.

“Kids are learning that America is nothing more than a series of incidents that oppress people, whether it's Native Americans or women or Blacks or Hispanics or Asian people, that is what they are learning,” Elder said.

On George Washington University’s campus, some students and visitors are also questioning the logic.

"That would be a little iffy because then you are not getting the actual history learning that you should be getting as a history major,” said one man we spoke with.

"I would definitely stand strong on [having] an American history class,” said another. “I think it's very important. If that is going to be your major, it's important to have that.”

In a statement, George Washington University is defending the change and emphasizing its program now has "broadened to reflect a more globally connected world." The statement also said a separate department offers an American studies program that allows students to "delve into the culture politics and history of the U.S."