Pentagon drafts new policy which would ban the display of Confederate flags at ALL Defense Department workplaces and public spaces after Marines issued similar order last month

A Pentagon policy proposal being circulated among officials would ban the display of the Confederate flag in US Department of Defense workplaces or public areas by service members and civilian personnel.

The policy, which has not yet been finalized or signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, would bring the other military services in line with the Marine Corps, which banned Confederate displays on its bases in early June.

The Associated Press obtained a copy of the draft. 

It comes as President Donald Trump earlier in the day criticized NASCAR´s decision to ban the flag at its races and venues.

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A Pentagon policy draft is being circulated among military service leaders regarding the proposal to ban displays of the Confederate flag in military work and public areas

Other military services had been poised to make similar decisions, but they were stalled when Esper said he wanted a review of the matter that would come up with a consistent department policy.

According to officials, the draft was sent out to service leaders for their input and response last week.

According to the draft, a ban would preserve 'the morale of our personnel, good order and discipline within the military ranks and unit cohesion.' 

It notes that a 'significant' population of service members and their families are minorities and 'it is beyond doubt' that many 'take grave offense at such a display.'

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If approved, the ban would come one month after the US Marine Corps banned displays of the Confederate flag and would be aimed at maintaining morale in the military branches

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US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has not yet signed or approved the Pentagon policy draft

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The US Marine Corps tweeted that it was banning the Confederate flag in June 2020

Days later, the US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Mike Gilday tweeted that he had asked his staff to work on an order to ban the Confederate flag within the branch

The Pentagon draft says the ban applies to public displays of the flag on installations and facilities that are under department control, and would not apply to things like license plates or monuments not governed by the Pentagon.

The White House had no comment.

Trump, in a tweet Monday, said that NASCAR's 'Flag decision' and the uproar over a noose found hanging in the garage of the sport's only full-time Black driver were driving the sports' ratings down. 

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Word of the policy draft comes just as President Trump tweeted that NASCAR's ban on displays of the Confederate flag at races is responsible for low viewership ratings

And he suggested that Bubba Wallace should apologize after the sport rallied around him after the noose was found in his assigned stall at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

Federal authorities ruled last month the noose had been hanging since October and was not a hate crime. NASCAR and the FBI have exclusively referred to the rope - which was used to pull the garage door closed -- as a noose.