The U.S. Marine Corps rejected Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) claims of freeway closures during Saturday’s amphibious assault demonstration honoring the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton, near San Diego.
Newsom worried about the Marine Corps firing weapons from ships in the Pacific Ocean during Saturday’s “Sea to Shore — A Review of Amphibious Strength” celebration in a social media post on Tuesday. He criticized the event and claimed it would cause I-5 to shut down. Multiple outlets, including the Los Angeles Times, also reported that the live-fire demonstration could force the closure of the major interstate.
“Donald Trump and JD Vance think that shutting down the I-5 to shoot out missiles from ships is how you respect the military,” Newsom said on X.
“PUT ASIDE YOUR VANITY PARADE AND PAY OUR TROOPS INSTEAD,” he added.
The social media account for Newsom’s press office also posted a critical message on X, calling the planned demonstration “an absurd show of force.”
“This would be an absurd show of force, and totally uncalled for during a government shutdown when members of the military cannot even get a paycheck,” read the post.
However, the Marine Corps rebutted Newsom’s claim late Wednesday, assuring that the events would occur at a beach west of the I-5 freeway and would not necessitate any shutdowns on any “public highway or transportation route.”
“All training events will occur on approved training ranges and comply with established safety protocols,” said Lt. Col. Lindsay Pirek, a Marine spokeswoman for the event. “No public highways or transportation routes will be closed.”
The press release issued by the Marine Corps also contrasted Newsom’s description of the amphibious assault demonstration as not a “vanity parade” or “absurd show of force” but rather a training exercise for the Marine Corps to maintain their “readiness to defend the Homeland and protect our Nation’s interests abroad against emergent and unprecedented challenges today and in the years ahead.”
The celebration will feature numerous activities involving Marine Corps personnel, weapons, vehicles, and a “live-fire” demonstration. Vice President JD Vance, a former Marine who served as a military journalist in the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing in Operation Iraqi Freedom, will be the keynote speaker. Vance is the first former Marine to hold the office of vice president.
Other Trump administration officials, including Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan, are also scheduled to speak, according to reports.
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As for closures and travel interruptions, Pirek said the only stoppages that will occur are some trains at Camp Pendleton. She mentioned there will be “multiple rehearsals” before Saturday’s event, and a “detailed risk assessment” was conducted beforehand.
“In advance of the training event and demonstration, we conducted a detailed risk assessment,” Pirek said. “All participants will be briefed, medical, fire, and emergency assets will be on site, and multiple rehearsals will be conducted. All air, surface, and ground movements are scripted and rehearsed in accordance with standard operating procedures and established safety checklists.”
