I could have. I could have pointed right to it on a map, told you some of the history of the city dating back several thousand years, and then talked about the current strategic importance it has.
And I'm just a random guy who doesn't even have any degrees or anything in relevant fields like history, political science, or international relations. I just keep myself informed.
If the majority of Americans don't bother to do this, then it's their fault - not the people who are criticising someone for not knowing these things.
I had seen the name in the news, but if asked point blank what Aleppo is, wouldn’t have known either. And don’t care.
The majority of Americans have no need to, either.