A major southern California highway was shut down for a U.S. Marine Corps demonstration on Oct. 18. The event pitted California Gov. Gavin Newsom against the federal government yet again.
Interstate 5 shut down from Harbor Drive to Basilone Road, a stretch of the main artery over 15 miles, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. local time, according to the California Highway Patrol. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth attended the event at Camp Pendleton, commemorating the Marines' 250th anniversary.
The news comes after days of back-and-forth between Gov. Gavin Newsom, federal officials and the Marines over whether the demonstration would require any roads to close.
Standing atop a seven-ton military truck with his wife, Vance watched the largest Marine exercise in a decade on Oct. 18, featuring F-18 and F-35 flyovers, parachute landings, Navy Seals swimming ashore, offshore destroyers and amphibious ships, simulated village explosions, and MH-60 helicopters dropping additional Seals over the water.