Published on October 16, 2025 • 3-minute read
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The entrance to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is pictured on September 22, 2015, in Oceanside, California. Photo by Gregory Bull / AP
The U.S. Marine Corps has announced a live-fire exercise scheduled for Saturday in Southern California to commemorate its 250th anniversary, an event that will be attended by Vice President JD Vance. This announcement has led to a dispute with California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) regarding the potential temporary closure of a nearby major highway.
In a social media post on Wednesday night, Newsom referred to the event as a “vanity parade,” asserting that “Donald Trump and JD Vance believe that shutting down Interstate 5 to launch missiles from ships is a way to honor the military.”
However, just hours after Newsom’s comments, the U.S. Marine Corps released a statement regarding the anniversary events, clarifying that “no public highways or transportation routes will be closed” and that “all training activities will take place on approved training ranges and will adhere to established safety protocols.”
In a follow-up statement to The Washington Post on Thursday, Newsom’s office expressed relief that the White House had abandoned plans to close a major interstate. “Now that I-5 will remain open, we hope the Trump Administration applies that same common sense to reopening the federal government,” the statement read.
The Post has not verified whether there were any plans to fire live ordnance over the interstate or if the Trump administration had intended to close the freeway for the exercise.
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The military showcase at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, located near San Diego, is expected to be attended by Vance, the first Marine Corps veteran to serve as vice president, along with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. This display of military strength coincides with planned “No Kings” protests against Trump occurring nationwide, including in California. Notably, Trump held a military parade in Washington on the same day as “No Kings” protests in June.
The ongoing exchange regarding the implications of Saturday’s events highlights the continuing public feud between Newsom, a potential candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination, and the Trump administration.