Leader Schumer Floor Remarks On The Continually Growing Epidemic Of Antisemitism, Including The Coast Guard’s Recent Policy To Downgrade The Swastika From Its Recognized List Of Hate Symbols

Washington, D.C. – Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today spoke on the Senate floor on the recent policy made by the Coast Guard to downgrade the swastika from its recognized list of hate symbols, further normalizing and empowering antisemitism. Below are Senator Schumer’s remarks, which can also be viewed here:

Earlier this week, the U.S. Coast Guard enacted a policy downgrading the swastika from its list of recognized hate symbols. Can you believe it? Can you believe it? A swastika is no longer a recognized hate symbol. They did this just after the horrible shootings in Sydney and so many other shootings, antisemitic shootings and activities that have been plaguing America.

The new policy of the Coast Guard is shameful, it’s dangerous, and yet another troubling instance of the Trump administration normalizing the threat of Nazism and White Supremacy.

This policy has all the markings of a dog whistle—it’s “stand back and stand by” in the form of an office memo.

Not four days ago, as I mentioned, fifteen Jews were slaughtered in cold blood, the beautiful picture of a little 10-year-old girl celebrating the first night of Hanukkah, and a day later the Trump administration chose to soften its stance against Nazis and swastikas. Can you believe it? Can it get any lower? Can it get any more insensitive? Can they be in any more a bubble then they’re in?

And for the all the millions of American men and women who serve in the Coast Guard, this is an insult to them. How about the Coast Guard members who served during World War II and fought that swastika?

Why was this policy change even necessary at all? Why did the administration go out of its way to soften its policies against swastikas, of all things?

Republicans will attempt to confirm the Commandant of the Coast Guard by unanimous consent before the end of this year. If he is to be head of the Coast Guard, this new nominee must reverse this egregious policy. And I’m asking him right now: change that policy now.

Let’s be very clear, if you’re a Jew, if your family gave their lives to fight the Nazis in World War II, if you’re a minority in any way, there is nothing, nothing “potentially” divisive about a swastika—it’s just about the most unmistakable hate symbol in existence.

This is now part of a pattern emerging on the right. Young Republicans were texting about gas chambers. Trump officials were talking about having “a nazi streak.” Tucker Carlson interviews Nick Fuentes, and Donald Trump refused to condemn Fuentes. Yesterday, JD Vance took to social media to suggest that antisemitism only exists because of immigrants. Where has he been? Does he know the history of antisemitism? What an ignorant statement from Vance. Sometimes you think he knows better but he doesn’t, he just plays along. The right wing sucks up to them.

And now, according to the Trump administration, swastikas no longer count as hate symbols within the Coast Guard.

This is exactly why I introduced my resolution condemning Nick Fuentes, Tucker Carlson and Neo-Nazism. Neo-Nazism is no longer a fringe or theoretical threat—it is a real, it is growing, it threatens our democracy, and every elected official must condemn it forcefully.

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