Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth watched a military showcase at Camp Pendleton on Saturday after a clash between Trump administration and California officials over a plan to send live artillery shells over a heavily traveled freeway. "The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety," Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement. "Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn't just wrong—it's dangerous." Vance and Marine officials at Pendleton said there was nothing unsafe about the artillery exercise, the AP reports.
The Marines maintained there was no need to disrupt traffic on Interstate 5, which is the main highway along the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles. The state nevertheless closed a 17-mile stretch in the morning, then reopened it about noon, per the Los Angeles Times. The Highway Patrol planned to enforce a traffic break later in the afternoon when the ammunition is fired. "It's not like they're going to get hit by explosives or anything like that, it's just loud booms, and it may frighten" drivers when the rounds go off, said John McKean of the Oceanside police.
The event in northern San Diego County was a celebration of the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary that included a show of amphibious vehicles and aircraft demonstrating a beach assault, per the AP. The decision to shut the freeway, which was causing major delays for drivers, was made after practice firings over I-5 on Friday evening and a request from event organizers for signage along the road stating "Overhead fire in progress."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
