The US Coast Guard changes its position and considers swastikas and nooses as signs of hate
TOI GLOBAL DESK | TOI GLOBAL | Nov 21, 2025, 23:50 IST
The US Coast Guard changes its position and considers swastikas and nooses as signs of hate
In response to the criticism, the Coast Guard issued a new directive that formally identifies swastikas, nooses, and similar imagery as hate symbols and reiterates the prohibition of offensive extremist and racist displays in the service.
TL;DR
After a backlash that was felt coast to coast, the Coast Guard has restored the list of hate symbols to which belong to be categorised as ill-hated, like swastikas, nooses, and extremist symbols. The police say that the prohibition has been in effect all along and that they put their word again that the suspects will be searched and penalised.
An updated policy was released by the US Coast Guard on Thursday to reflect the formal recognition of swastikas, nooses, and other far-right fascist symbols as hate symbols. The change comes after the initial directive of the Coast Guard that had softened the classification of such icons, which was met with criticism. In response to complaints from the public, as well as to the political pressure, the Coast Guard came out with a new guidance that previously had been considered as "potentially divisive" symbols only.
The new memo, which was published not long after The Washington Post revealed the change, tightens the prohibitions on the display of nooses, swastikas, or any symbols adopted by hate-based groups. The document points out that the root causes of the prohibition are intolerance, religious or racial bias, antisemitism, and co-arranged forms of discrimination. The Coast Guard highlighted that the ban extends to both off and on-duty conduct when personnel are in uniform or are the service representatives.
Since 2023, the Coast Guard regulations have been classifying the display of these symbols as a "potential hate incident." The recent version, as reported by The Washington Post, removed that language and replaced it with the softer term "potentially divisive," a change that was scheduled to take effect in December. The reversal issued on Thursday brings back the firmer standard and reiterates zero tolerance for extremist imagery.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said that the DHS had not changed its stance and had not given instructions to the Coast Guard to do so. In her social media post on Friday, she stated that the new memo reinforced the existing rules and was not an indication of backtracking. "The 2025 policy is not changing. USCG issued a lawful order that doubles down on our current policies prohibiting the display, distribution, or use of hate symbols by Coast Guard personnel," she said.
It's been talked about in the halls of Congress for quite some time now that they have been demanding a clear and definite announcement. One of the Illinois representatives, Lauren Underwood, said that she met with Admiral Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant, in person and conveyed her worries to him. In her video message, she said that Lunday communicated that it was an absolute prohibition of the use of hate symbols like swastikas and nooses.
Furthermore, Lunday made a public statement in line with the Coast Guard's stance. "The very investigation and prosecution of the violations will be the result, as always, of our most rigorous and severe measures, in close cooperation with the authorities concerned," he said. "The use of symbols such as swastikas and nooses as well as other extremist or racist images go against our core values and are treated with the seriousness that they deserve under the current policy," he added.
The symbols in question have caused a lot of pain and have been associated with terrible things in the past. Nooses signify the times of racial terror that happened throughout the post-Civil War era up to the early Civil Rights Movement period and are the reminders of the thousands of lynchings of Black Americans. Swastikas are the symbols of the Nazi regime led by Adolf Hitler, the genocide during the Holocaust, and the war that cost more than 400,000 American service members' lives, among which close to 1,900 were that of the Coast Guard.
Extremism in the US military is still a matter of concern that has not been fully resolved, although some research works point out that the rate is relatively low. A Pentagon report from 2020 claimed that extremist views were not widespread but it cautioned that persons with military training could be more dangerous because of their abilities and the fact that they could carry out high-impact events. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during President Joe Biden's term, ordered the different branches to stop their work and hold discussions on extremism and military values in 2021.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not fully convinced that extremism is so widespread among the ranks. During his confirmation hearing in January, he mentioned that the focus on extremism was one of the causes of the political tension in the military and that the problem had been exaggerated.
The Coast Guard's new regulations will be effective right away and serve as a behavioral code and a disciplinary guideline that is applicable to the entire service.
FAQs
After a backlash that was felt coast to coast, the Coast Guard has restored the list of hate symbols to which belong to be categorised as ill-hated, like swastikas, nooses, and extremist symbols. The police say that the prohibition has been in effect all along and that they put their word again that the suspects will be searched and penalised.
An updated policy was released by the US Coast Guard on Thursday to reflect the formal recognition of swastikas, nooses, and other far-right fascist symbols as hate symbols. The change comes after the initial directive of the Coast Guard that had softened the classification of such icons, which was met with criticism. In response to complaints from the public, as well as to the political pressure, the Coast Guard came out with a new guidance that previously had been considered as "potentially divisive" symbols only.
The new memo, which was published not long after The Washington Post revealed the change, tightens the prohibitions on the display of nooses, swastikas, or any symbols adopted by hate-based groups. The document points out that the root causes of the prohibition are intolerance, religious or racial bias, antisemitism, and co-arranged forms of discrimination. The Coast Guard highlighted that the ban extends to both off and on-duty conduct when personnel are in uniform or are the service representatives.
Since 2023, the Coast Guard regulations have been classifying the display of these symbols as a "potential hate incident." The recent version, as reported by The Washington Post, removed that language and replaced it with the softer term "potentially divisive," a change that was scheduled to take effect in December. The reversal issued on Thursday brings back the firmer standard and reiterates zero tolerance for extremist imagery.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, Tricia McLaughlin, said that the DHS had not changed its stance and had not given instructions to the Coast Guard to do so. In her social media post on Friday, she stated that the new memo reinforced the existing rules and was not an indication of backtracking. "The 2025 policy is not changing. USCG issued a lawful order that doubles down on our current policies prohibiting the display, distribution, or use of hate symbols by Coast Guard personnel," she said.
It's been talked about in the halls of Congress for quite some time now that they have been demanding a clear and definite announcement. One of the Illinois representatives, Lauren Underwood, said that she met with Admiral Kevin Lunday, the acting commandant, in person and conveyed her worries to him. In her video message, she said that Lunday communicated that it was an absolute prohibition of the use of hate symbols like swastikas and nooses.
Furthermore, Lunday made a public statement in line with the Coast Guard's stance. "The very investigation and prosecution of the violations will be the result, as always, of our most rigorous and severe measures, in close cooperation with the authorities concerned," he said. "The use of symbols such as swastikas and nooses as well as other extremist or racist images go against our core values and are treated with the seriousness that they deserve under the current policy," he added.
The symbols in question have caused a lot of pain and have been associated with terrible things in the past. Nooses signify the times of racial terror that happened throughout the post-Civil War era up to the early Civil Rights Movement period and are the reminders of the thousands of lynchings of Black Americans. Swastikas are the symbols of the Nazi regime led by Adolf Hitler, the genocide during the Holocaust, and the war that cost more than 400,000 American service members' lives, among which close to 1,900 were that of the Coast Guard.
Extremism in the US military is still a matter of concern that has not been fully resolved, although some research works point out that the rate is relatively low. A Pentagon report from 2020 claimed that extremist views were not widespread but it cautioned that persons with military training could be more dangerous because of their abilities and the fact that they could carry out high-impact events. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, during President Joe Biden's term, ordered the different branches to stop their work and hold discussions on extremism and military values in 2021.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is not fully convinced that extremism is so widespread among the ranks. During his confirmation hearing in January, he mentioned that the focus on extremism was one of the causes of the political tension in the military and that the problem had been exaggerated.
The Coast Guard's new regulations will be effective right away and serve as a behavioral code and a disciplinary guideline that is applicable to the entire service.
FAQs
- Why was the earlier policy criticized?It replaced a reference to "potential hate incidents" with the term "potentially divisive," which critics said weakened enforcement.
- Did DHS direct the policy reversal?DHS denied issuing any change and said the Coast Guard reaffirmed existing standards.
- How will violations be handled?The Coast Guard stated that any display or use of prohibited symbols will be investigated and punished.