WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Defense Secretary Mark Esper has issued a policy ushering in a de facto ban on displaying the Confederate flag at U.S. military installations around the world by authorizing only certain flags that promote unity, according to a copy of his memo, seen by Reuters on Friday.
The decision could increase tension between Esper and Republican President Donald Trump, who has cited free speech rights in his defense of Americans who fly the Confederate flag.
“The flags we fly must accord with the military imperatives of good order and discipline, treating all our people with dignity and respect, and rejecting divisive symbols,” Esper said in the memo.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; editing by Jonathan Oatis)
