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Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaking to members of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Hate symbols will now be recategorized as "potentially divisive.”
The U.S. Coast Guard is preparing to roll back restrictions on extremist symbols such as swastikas and nooses, even as it continues enforcing the nation’s restrictive ban on transgender military service. The shift was first reported by The Washington Post and is now reflected in newly issued internal policy documents.
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Under a comprehensive update that takes effect December 15, the Coast Guard is eliminating the “hate incident” category altogether and reclassifying displays of swastikas, nooses, and symbols coopted by hate groups as “potentially divisive symbols,” the Post reports.
According to the paper, the updated policy states that these items should now be handled through harassment procedures when an aggrieved individual is identified, significantly weakening the automatic scrutiny of content historically treated as threatening or discriminatory. The same instruction states that a symbol is considered divisive only if its display is determined to affect good order, morale, or mission effectiveness negatively.
The Trump administration has previously blocked Pride flags from being displayed at federal facilities.
The shift is part of a larger ideological realignment across the federal military apparatus. The Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security, run by MAGA faithful Secretary Kristi Noem. Though the Coast Guard is not part of the Defense Department, it has updated its policies to align with the Trump administration’s narrowing of definitions for hazing, bullying, and harassment. In September, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a department-wide revision, calling existing military standards “overly broad” and warning they threatened combat readiness.
Related: Pete Hegseth mandates that all military service members watch his fratty Virginia speech to generals
Pentagon memorandums issued the same month require rapid dismissal of discrimination complaints lacking “credible evidence” within seven days, and warn that service members who file complaints deemed frivolous may face punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
At the same time, the Coast Guard is enforcing a categorical ban on transgender service. A June directive bars individuals with a diagnosis or history of gender dysphoria from enlisting and requires all members to serve in accordance with their “biological sex,” with no new access to transition-related care.
The Post notes that although the Coast Guard initially declined to comment for the story, a spokesperson later told the paper that “We will be reviewing the language."
On Thursday afternoon, the acting commandant of the Coast Guard issued a statement pushing back on The Post’s report.
“The claims that the U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses or other extremist imagery as prohibited symbols are categorically false,” Admiral Kevin Lunday wrote in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter. “These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard per policy."
He said that all displays of these types of symbols would be "thoroughly investigated and severely punished."
He added, “Symbols such as swastikas, nooses and other extremist or racist imagery violate our core values and are treated with the seriousness they warrant under current policy.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.
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