The new regulations, which are scheduled to come into force on December 15, also relax the classification of the noose symbol and the Confederate flag, although displaying the latter remains prohibited, according to documents cited by the Washington Post.
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What regulatory changes is the US Coast Guard introducing?
When will the new regulations come into force?
What symbols remain banned in the Coast Guard?
What did a spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security say?
The Coast Guard is subordinated to the Ministry of Homeland Security, but – as the daily notes – it is changing the rules to adapt them to the new regulations of the Trump administration regarding the so-called wave and harassment in the US military. In September, Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth ordered a review and modernization of these regulations, calling the current military standards “too broad” and claiming that they threaten the combat readiness of American troops.
The Hill website published the position of the Coast Guard, which called the Washington daily's reports false. “Claims that the U.S. Coast Guard will not recognize swastikas, nooses and other extremist images as prohibited symbols are categorically false. These symbols have been and remain prohibited in the Coast Guard in accordance with procedure,” Adm. said. Kevin Lunday, Acting Commandant of the Coast Guard.
Department Hits The Washington Post, Democrats Say 'Security Compromise'
Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin wrote on X that the Washington Post “should be ashamed of itself for publishing this false nonsense.”
The Washington Post noted that the changes in the classification of the swastika are part of the Coast Guard's efforts to remove hate incidents from its regulations.
“Behavior that was previously treated as a potential hate incident, including that involving symbols commonly associated with oppression or hatred, is treated as a harassment report,” the Coast Guard explains in the new regulations.
“We don't deserve the nation's trust if we aren't sure how controversial swastikas can be,” a Coast Guard official told the newspaper, asking not to be named.
“At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise in the United States and around the world, relaxing policies aimed at combating hate crimes not only sends the wrong message to the men and women of our Coast Guard, but also puts their safety at risk,” said Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen. She urged the administration to reverse these changes before they take effect.
