WASHINGTON (Diya TV) — A U.S. senator has paused the nomination of the top Coast Guard leader over concerns about a policy on hate symbols. The decision comes after officials appeared to “backtrack” on a promise to prohibit hakenkreuzes (referred to often mistakenly as swastikas), nooses, and other hate symbols. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., announced Wednesday that she is holding Adm. Kevin Lunday’s nomination for commandant until she receives clear answers. Rosen said she wants assurance that all Coast Guard members are protected from antisemitism and hate crimes.
“As it appears that Admiral Lunday may have backtracked on his commitment to me to combat antisemitism and hate crimes and protect all members of the Coast Guard, I will be placing a hold on his nomination until the Coast Guard provides answers,” Rosen wrote on social media.
The hold highlights the ongoing debate over the Coast Guard’s updated policy on hate symbols. The policy initially described symbols such as hakenkreuzes and nooses as “potentially divisive” rather than outright banning them. Commanders could remove them from public spaces, but the rule did not cover private areas like family housing.
This marked a change from the previous policy, which labeled these symbols as “widely identified with oppression or hatred” and considered their display a “potential hate incident.”
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Coast Guard, said there was no “downgrade” in policy. DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the change actually strengthens the service’s ability to report, investigate, and prosecute violations.
“The symbols listed in the policy include, but are not limited to, nooses, swastikas, and any symbols or flags that have been adopted by hate-based groups to represent supremacy, racial or religious intolerance, antisemitism, or any other form of bias,” McLaughlin said.
The new policy drew immediate attention from lawmakers. Rosen and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who lead a bipartisan task force on antisemitism, pressed the Coast Guard for clarification. In response, the service issued a memo in late November stating that hate symbols and flags are prohibited.
Despite the memo, the final policy, published this week, still describes nooses and hakenkreuzes as “potentially divisive,” according to a source familiar with the situation. The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the memo is supposed to supersede the policy.
The debate comes amid a rise in antisemitism across the country and globally. A mass shooting in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday killed 15 people during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach. Rosen’s hold on Lunday’s nomination underscores the concern among lawmakers that federal institutions must take a firm stand against hate symbols. Experts say clarity and enforcement of policies are key to protecting service members and maintaining public trust.
The Coast Guard has maintained that the final policy does not conflict with Lunday’s memo. Officials argue that the memo clearly bans hate symbols, even if the language in the policy calls them “potentially divisive.” The ongoing situation has sparked national discussion on how military and federal organizations handle hate symbols. Advocates stress that clear and consistent rules are necessary to prevent discrimination and harassment.
