Coast Guard Called Swastikas “Potentially” Divisive, Then Scrambled to Fix It

Policy Chaos Sparked Outrage Nationwide

The U.S. Coast Guard spent the past month in damage control after a new policy downgraded swastikas and nooses from hate symbols to “potentially divisive.”

Jewish groups, lawmakers, and military advocates erupted. The Coast Guard reversed course, then quietly kept the language anyway, then finally deleted it under pressure.

Two senators blocked the acting commandant’s promotion.

The whole mess traces back to January 2025, when the Trump administration fired the first woman to ever lead a U.S. military branch.

Swastikas Become Potentially Divisive

On November 20, 2025, news broke that the Coast Guard had rewritten its harassment policy. The new version replaced “hate symbols” with “potentially divisive symbols” when describing swastikas and nooses.

Under the old rules, displaying these symbols was treated as a potential hate incident.

The new language meant commanders could review how the symbols were used rather than banning them outright.

The policy was set to take effect on December 15.

First Female Military Chief Gets Fired

The policy change connects directly to January 21, 2025, when acting Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman fired Admiral Linda Fagan.

She had served as Coast Guard commandant since 2022 and was the first woman to lead any branch of the U.S. military.

Officials cited her “excessive focus” on diversity initiatives.

Fagan learned of her firing at the Commander-in-Chief Ball on Inauguration Day, while waiting in line to take a photo with President Trump.

Lunday Suspends the Old Policy

Admiral Kevin Lunday stepped in as acting commandant. Within days, he suspended the existing harassment policy manual.

That manual had explicitly listed swastikas among symbols “whose display, presentation, creation, or depiction would constitute a potential hate incident.”

Nooses and the Confederate flag fell under the same category. The suspension cleared the way for the rewrite that would cause so much trouble later.

Jewish Groups Condemn the Change

The Anti-Defamation League responded immediately.

CEO Jonathan Greenblatt wrote that swastikas and nooses “aren’t potentially divisive” but “explicit symbols of antisemitism and hate.”

The American Jewish Committee called swastikas “antisemitic” and said they “insult the hundreds of thousands of Americans who gave their lives to defeat the Nazis 80 years ago.”

The group called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to reverse the policy.

Lunday Issues Emergency Ban

Facing intense backlash on November 20, Lunday released an emergency directive that same night.

He declared swastikas and nooses “prohibited” and promised that anyone displaying them would be “thoroughly investigated and severely punished.”

The Coast Guard announced this was “not an updated policy but a new policy to combat any misinformation.”

Jewish groups expressed relief, with the ADL saying the reversal “should have never happened in the first place.

DHS Calls the Reports False

Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin pushed back hard.

She called the original reporting a “pathetic attempt to smear the men and women of the Coast Guard.” She insisted there was never a “downgrade” and claimed the 2025 policy actually strengthened protections.

When the Coast Guard issued its reversal, she denied it was “backtracking” and said the branch was simply doubling down on existing rules.

Policy Goes Live With Bad Language

Despite Lunday’s directive, the new harassment manual took effect on December 15 with the “potentially divisive” wording still in place.

Lawmakers who had been assured the language would be removed were blindsided.

Two people familiar with the overhaul told reporters that the Coast Guard wanted to strike the phrase but was unable to do so.

Neither DHS nor the Coast Guard explained why Lunday’s directive was never incorporated into the final document.

Two Senators Block the Promotion

Senator Jacky Rosen of Nevada placed a hold on Lunday’s nomination to become permanent commandant.

She said he appeared to have “backtracked on his commitment to combat antisemitism.”

Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a combat veteran, followed with her own hold. DHS spokesperson McLaughlin accused the senators of trying to “extort” the Coast Guard for “cheap political points.”

Unless the holds were lifted, Lunday’s nomination would expire at year’s end.

Coast Guard Deletes the Language

On December 18, Lunday announced the controversial wording had been “completely removed” from the policy manual. The document now shows a black bar over the relevant chapter in the table of contents.

Secretary Noem said the deletion would prevent anyone from misrepresenting the Coast Guard’s position. She called the holdup of Lunday’s nomination “politicized” and demanded it end.

Senate Confirms Lunday as Chief

Senator Rosen lifted her hold on December 19 after seeing the revised policy.

She said she still had “reservations about the process” but was pleased the language now took a stronger stance against hate symbols.

The Senate confirmed Lunday that night.

He had served nearly 39 years in the Coast Guard. The confirmation ended a saga that had stretched across two months and multiple reversals.

Antisemitism Hits Record Levels

The policy fight unfolded during a surge in hate crimes.

The ADL reported over 9,300 antisemitic incidents in 2024, a 5% increase from the year before and a 344% increase over five years.

Incidents occurred in all 50 states.

Days before the Coast Guard deleted its controversial language, 15 people were killed in an antisemitic attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer linked the two events, asking how the administration could soften its stance on Nazi symbols at such a time.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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