Plan to fire artillery over a California highway during JD Vance base visit irks governor

A plan to fire live artillery shells over a major Southern California highway as part of a military showcase attended by Vice President JD Vance has drawn strong objections from Gov Gavin Newsom who explained safety concerns forced him to close a -mile kilometers portion of the interstate The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for inhabitants safety the Democratic governor noted in a declaration Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn t just wrong it s dangerous Vance and U S Marine bureaucrats at Camp Pendleton have mentioned there is nothing unsafe about the artillery exercise and no need to disrupt traffic on Interstate which is the main highway along the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles The Republican vice president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are visiting Camp Pendleton in North San Diego County to celebrate the Marine Corps th anniversary and troops will put on a show of amphibious vehicles and aircraft with a beach landing demonstration The state had considered closing the freeway earlier in the week but the U S Marines announced Thursday that the event would occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols State transportation executives ultimately made the decision to close the freeway after practice firings over the freeway Friday evening and a request from event organizers for signage along the road stating Overhead fire in progress California Highway Patrol disclosed a stretch of the highway would be closed Saturday from a m to p m local time although travelers should expect delays before during and after the event This is all because of the White House-directed military event that for the safety of the constituents we need to shut down the freeway since they re sending live ordinances over the freeway California Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Rocco declared The Associated Press has reached out to Vance s office and the U S Marines for comment In a announcement to The New York Times a spokesperson for Vance William Martin revealed Newsom is misleading the masses about the safety danger He explained it was routine training If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose the training exercises that ensure our Armed Forces are the deadliest and most of lethal fighting force in the world then he can go right ahead Martin noted Rocco explained the I- closure could cost up to another two hours of trip time for those commuting between San Diego and Los Angeles The freeway carries with travelers and million in freight through the corridor daily according to the governor s office Rider rail services running parallel to the I- have also been canceled for the afternoon Source