Newsom disputes with the White House about the highway shutdown for Marine Corps festivities

Dispute Erupts Over Marine Corps Anniversary Celebration

The 250th anniversary of the U.S. Marine Corps, celebrated at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, triggered a heated argument on social media between California Governor Gavin Newsom and the White House. The event, aptly named “America’s Marines 250: From Sea to Shore: A Review of Amphibious Forces,” hosted a variety of activities, including a live-fire demonstration attended by Vice President J.D. Vance.

Newsom criticized the military display, labeling it a “dangerous” and “unreasonable show of force.” He took to X to inform the public about a partial closure of Interstate 5 during the event, warning motorists of potential delays due to “plans from the Trump Administration.”

The Vice President’s campaign responded by accusing Newsom of disseminating “fake news” in regard to the Marine Corps celebration.

Later in the day, as tensions escalated, Democrats aligned with Newsom expressed frustration over the White House’s earlier claim that highway closures were unnecessary, despite the live ammunition being utilized.

In a rebuttal, the White House accused Newsom of misrepresenting the situation. They asserted through a post on X that “Newscam is lying,” stating that the governor unilaterally closed the highway without any directive from the Marine Corps, which reportedly had stated there were no public safety issues surrounding the exercise.

Newsom countered this by suggesting that common sense dictates the dangers of driving under live fire conditions. He further criticized the White House for allegedly attempting to mislead the public while blaming governors who are merely trying to ensure public safety.

The back-and-forth stemmed from ongoing tension between Newsom and the Trump administration regarding the events at Camp Pendleton. Earlier, the California governor denounced the commemoration as a “vanity parade,” asserting that closing I-5 to fire missiles from ships is an inappropriate way to honor the military.

William Martin, a special assistant to the president, refuted this claim, insisting that the Marines would not be closing any public roads and reaffirming that the event was classified as a training exercise.

A Marine Corps press release earlier had announced extensive safety measures in anticipation of more than 15,000 attendees, including thorough risk assessments and the presence of emergency personnel at the scene. Despite the ongoing dispute, it appears that precautions were seriously considered for the event.