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Coast Guard is downplaying its policy change to no longer refer to images of swastikas and nooses as a “hate incident” – after it circulated new guidance to remove the term “hate incident” from its vocabulary entirely.
The service previously considered the display of swastikas, nooses, Confederate flags and other symbols of supremacy or anti-Semitism a “potential hate incident,” but new guidance now calls them “potentially divisive symbols and flags.” There was a change first reported Washington Post.
Despite the changes, the Coast Guard says it remains committed to banning the symbols from service and punishing those who display them. It also said it still considers the symbols to be “extremist imagery.”
“Claims that the U.S. Coast Guard will no longer classify swastikas, nooses or other extremist images as prohibited symbols are categorically false,” Adm. Kevin Landay, acting commandant of the Coast Guard, said in a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday. “These symbols were and remain prohibited by Coast Guard policy.”
The Coast Guard is downplaying its policy changes and no longer calling the display of swastikas and nooses a “hate incident.” (US Coast Guard)
“Any display, use or promotion of such symbols will, as always, be thoroughly investigated and severely punished,” Landay said. “The Coast Guard remains steadfast in its commitment to providing a safe, respectful and professional work environment. Symbols such as swastikas, nooses and other extremist or racist imagery violate our core values and are treated with the seriousness they require under current policy.”
The new instructions state that public display of the Confederate battle flag is prohibited and will be removed from all Coast Guard workplaces, public areas, public places or operational facilities. Previous leadership also prohibited the public display of the Confederate battle flag.
Commanders and other leaders are directed to inquire about public displays of other symbols identified as “potentially divisive” and are given the authority to order or order the removal of those symbols that negatively impact morale and mission readiness.
The Coast Guard said the update on pursuit policy was made in accordance with orders from President Donald Trump and the Pentagon. (Martha Lavandier/Associated Press)
The guidance also states that it eliminates the term “hate incident” entirely and that incidents previously considered “potential hate incidents” will not be considered reports of harassment.
“Conduct that was previously considered a potential hate incident, including the use of symbols widely identified with oppression or hatred, is considered a report of harassment in cases where the victim is identified… The terminology 'hate incident' is no longer present in the policy,” the new guidance states.
The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to a request from Fox News Digital about why it removed the term “hate incident” from its new manual.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem (right) pilots a small U.S. Coast Guard cutter with the Maritime Security Response Team in San Diego, March 16, 2025. (Alex Brandon/POOL/AFP)
The new guidance also places some restrictions on when harassment reports can be filed. The updated policy requires that reports of harassment, other than sexual harassment, be made within 45 calendar days of the incident. The new guidance states that there is “some latitude regarding the acceptance of reports after this date”.
This is a departure from the service's previous policy, which did not have a time limit for reporting these incidents.
After the Post's initial report on the update, the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington, said there was no room for debate about whether nooses or swastikas are symbols of hate.
“Lynching is a federal hate crime. Peace defeated the Nazis in 1945. The debate over these symbols is over. They symbolize hatred,” Larsen said in a statement Thursday. “Coast Guard: Be Better.”
The Coast Guard is the only branch of the military that reports to the Department of Homeland Security, but it has launched initiatives including Force Design 2028 update its organizational structure, acquisitions, contracts, and technology, among other changes, to more closely align them with the other services under the War Department's purview.
The Coast Guard said the update on pursuit policy was made in accordance with orders from President Donald Trump and the Pentagon.
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Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on whether it plans similar policy changes for its military branches. However, the Minister of War Pete Hegseth instructed the Pentagon to conduct reviewing its policies regarding hazing and harassment in September.
The Pentagon also has its own set of counter-extremism guidelines that effectively prohibit the display of Confederate flags or flags with swastikas on them. Only pre-approved flags are permitted, including state or military service flags.
