AP Reports Defense Dept. Banned Confederate Flag Without Mentioning Confederate Flag ‘To Avoid Trump’s Wrath’
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The Department of Defense will announce a Confederate flag ban with a twist: it doesn’t mention the Confederate flag by name, a move that The Associated Press was made to “avoid Trump’s wrath” and skirt free speech challenges.
On Friday, The Associated Press suggested, in a piece entitled “Pentagon Bans Confederate Flag in Way to Avoid Trump’s Wrath,” that President Donald Trump’s affinity for the Confederate flag was behind the decision not to name the flag in the Pentagon’s guidance on “divisive symbols.”
Instead, Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s memo “lists the types of flags that may be displayed at military installations. The Confederate flag is not among them — thus barring its display without singling it out in a ‘ban.’”
The report goes on to say that the Confederate flag was named in an earlier version of the policy, but removed:
An early draft of the Defense Department plan banned display of the Confederate flag, saying the prohibition would preserve “the morale of our personnel, good order and discipline within the military ranks and unit cohesion.” That version was shelved, and officials have been struggling since then to come up with a policy that would have the same effect but not create political havoc.
Esper discussed the matter with senior leaders during a meeting Wednesday, including some of the legal issues surrounding a variety of bans, which some officials believe could be challenged in court.
The final version is a compromise that enables Esper to enact a ban that passes legal muster and gives military leaders what they want, but doesn’t infuriate the commander in chief.
Trump has long defended symbols and historical figures of the Confederacy, but has recently been more vocal about defending the Confederate battle flag that he once said should be relegated to museums. He recently attacked NASCAR for its decision to prohibit the banner from its events, and defended the flag extensively on “free speech” grounds in a CBS News interview.
In June, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was asked if Trump would consider banning the flag from his own rallies.
“That would be a question for his campaign,” McEnany responded, and reiterated Trump’s support for protecting statues. To date, the campaign has not announced a ban on such displays.
