California Gov. Gavin Newsom has slammed a deranged White House plan that would allegedly involve firing missiles over a busy freeway.
The bizarre spectacle, part of celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps, would feature Navy warships firing live ordnance over I-5 and onto Camp Pendleton military base, according to The Los Angeles Times and MeidasTouch.
The military event could also force the closure of parts of the freeway, which carries more than 80,000 daily travelers for several hours in both directions on Friday and Saturday.
“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 posted on X. “PUT ASIDE YOUR VANITY PARADE AND PAY OUR TROOPS INSTEAD.”
The governor’s office also condemned the alleged missile launch plans on X, calling them an “absurd show of force, and totally uncalled for during a government shutdown when members of the military cannot even get a paycheck.”
Newsom’s office said it has received little information about safety measures or coordination ahead of the purported missile launch, according to The Los Angeles Times. The full extent of the military event, including whether it will actually involve firing missiles over I-5, remains unclear.
The Marine Corps said in a statement that there will be a “live-fire amphibious capabilities demonstration” at Red Beach, Camp Pendleton, on Saturday, but insisted that no public highways or transportation routes will be closed. The Corps added that a “detailed risk assessment” has been conducted ahead of the event.
The celebration project, named “Sea to Shore—A Review of Amphibious Strength,” will be attended by Vice President JD Vance,
William Martin, a spokesperson for the vice president, dismissed the freeway closure reports as “fake news,” saying the event at Camp Pendleton is merely a “training exercise.”
A Newsom spokesperson said, “California always honors our Marines, but this isn’t the right way to go about it.
“The White House should focus on paying their military, lowering grocery prices, and honoring these soldiers for their service instead of pompous displays of power.
“The lack of coordination and communication from the federal government on this event, and the overall impact to our society and economy, is evident of the larger disarray that is the Trump administration.”
California Department of Transportation spokesman Edward Barrera said that, due to “potential scenarios shared with us by the federal government,” the agency is preparing to shut down parts of I-5 between Orange and San Diego counties for the live-fire exercise.
“If the federal government requests a closure of the freeway, drivers should expect delays on Interstate 5 and other state routes throughout Southern California before, during, and after the event,” Barrera said in a statement.
A senior state transportation official added to MeidasTouch, “Closing down a critical corridor during a shutdown, for a vanity event, without even consulting state authorities? It’s indefensible.”
Trump on Wednesday signed a directive diverting funds to pay military service members during the ongoing government shutdown ahead of the Marine Corps celebrations.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Newsom’s office, the White House, and the Marine Corps for comment.
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