On Oct.18, 2025 California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered the temporary closure of a major Southern California highway causing significant delays and major traffic gridlocks in both San Diego and Orange counties. Public transits like the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner also had a temporary shutdown of select routes from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Interstate 5 was closed from Harbor Drive to Basoline Road from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This was done as precaution to the White House’s decision to launch a demonstrative 60 rounds over the coastal sections of the highway in celebration of the 250 year anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.
Newsom declared in a statement, “The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety. Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn’t just wrong — it’s dangerous.” Gregory Dreibelbis, the spokesperson for the Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp Pendleton claimed, “Weeks of deliberate planning and rehearsals ensured success at every phase of execution.”
Around 15,000 people attended the Marine Corps celebrations including Vice President JD Vance who was the keynote speaker and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. The Marine Corps released a statement on Oct. 15 that claimed “All training events will occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols. No public highways or transportation routes will be closed.”
The Marine Corps representatives also claimed that they fire artillery regularly at Camp Pendleton. Governor Newsom chose to close the interstate anyway, after consulting with traffic safety experts from California Highway Patrol. Newsom claimed, “It’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office he holds. Law and order? This is chaos and confusion.”
The demonstration at Camp Pendleton led to a misfire and pieces of shrapnel scattered across the closed interstate damaging two highway patrol vehicles with no reports of injury. Representative Mark Levin sent a letter to Hesgeth asking for the details behind the planning. In the letter Levin commented, “While we are relieved no one was injured, we are deeply concerned by the decision-making that led to this incident.” 26 other members of California congress also signed the letter.
The letter also consisted of 13 questions Levin and the other Californian representatives wanted answered by Oct. 29, 2025. Among those questions were, “Who made the final decision that the federal government would not require the closure of Interstate 5?” As of Oct. 30, 2025 there has been no public announcement by Hesgeth or Levin on whether or not Hesgeth responded to the letter. After the misfire Newsom released a statement on X, “We love our Marines and owe a debt of gratitude to Camp Pendleton, but next time, the Vice President and the White House shouldn’t be so reckless with people’s lives for their vanity projects.” California Highway Patrol has yet to release a statement on the extent of the damages and the cost.
