Coast Guard removes references to hate symbols as Rosen lifts hold on Lunday nomination

The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday removed references in its policy describing hate symbols such as swastikas and nooses as "potentially divisive," a move that coincided with Sen. Jacky Rosen lifting her hold on Adm. Kevin Lunday’s nomination to lead the service. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the revisions were made so no one could misrepresent the Coast Guard’s position, and pledged that superseded policy pages would be removed from the record.

The policy change had sparked controversy last month when it also stated that the rule did not apply to private spaces such as family housing, and that commanders could take steps to remove symbols from public view rather than banning them outright. The Department of Homeland Security has said there was never a "downgrade" in policy language. The Coast Guard, for its part, said on social media that it maintains a "zero-tolerance" policy toward hate symbols and extremist ideology, and that any suggestion to the contrary is false. The department’s statements came as lawmakers and the public pressed for clarity on how such symbols would be treated within the service.

Rosen said on social media that she was lifting her hold and looked forward to working with Lunday to strengthen anti-harassment policy at the Coast Guard. "While I continue to have reservations about the process by which this happened and the confusion created by leadership at the Department of Homeland Security, I am pleased to see that the policy now directly refers to stronger language against swastikas and nooses," she wrote.

Noem, for her part, called the delay in Lunday’s confirmation a "politicized holdup" and said he should be confirmed without delay. "He has given nearly 39 years of distinguished service to the Coast Guard, this country, and the American people," Noem said in a post. She also stressed the need for the confirmation to proceed so the service can continue to address harassment and maintain its readiness.

The Coast Guard’s planned changes to the policy were first reported by The Washington Post, which noted revisions to the policy’s phrasing and its practical effect. DHS had previously described the move as a strengthening of the Coast Guard’s ability to report, investigate, and prosecute violations of longstanding policy, even as it maintained that there was no downgrade in language.

The policy shifts occurred amid political attention on Coast Guard leadership and its approach to harassment and discrimination. Lunday, a long-serving sailor and former deputy commandant, has strong bipartisan support, but his nomination had been held up amid questions about how the service would enforce anti-harassment rules. Rosen’s decision to lift the hold followed negotiations over how best to balance transparency, policy consistency, and the need to avoid politicizing the Coast Guard’s internal guidelines.

With the hold resolved and the policy changes in effect, the service remains under pressure to demonstrate that it is serious about reform while maintaining its core mission. The Coast Guard’s public messaging has said it remains committed to a "zero tolerance" stance toward hate symbols and their promotion, while ensuring that enforcement remains fair and consistent across ranks and postings.