CAMP PENDLETON, California — JD Vance delivered a pep talk to the Marine Corps amid a massive display of military firepower Saturday that prompted California authorities to shut down one of the busiest stretches of highway in the nation.
The vice president made no mention of the “No Kings” protests that erupted around the nation that same day, including one that drew tens of thousands of people to nearby San Diego, and avoided politics except for a swipe at Democrats over the shutdown and at diversity initiatives.
“When officials try to shift focus, to mandating diversity quotas, where they try to inject partisan politics into the American armed forces, they impede the Marine Corps’ ability to do its best work,” Vance told several thousand troops gathered to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Marine Corps. “That’s why the Secretary of war, and the President of the United States, have stood so firmly against that crap.”
The event, a full-throated love letter to the Marine Corps, featured a rare display of military might — a mock amphibious assault on a beach just north of San Diego that involved aircraft, ships and live howitzer fire that prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to close busy Interstate 5, the main artery of Southern California.
Newsom, a frequent critic of the administration and a likely presidential contender in 2028, said in a statement that the prospect of 155-millimeter howitzer projectiles soaring over the highway from the beach could distract drivers on the busy stretch of highway and pose a safety hazard. He also suggested Trump had scheduled the event to intimidate opponents.
“Using our military to intimidate people you disagree with isn’t strength — it’s reckless, it’s disrespectful, and it’s beneath the office he holds,” the governor said. “Law and order? This is chaos and confusion.”
The military exercise unfolded in dramatic fashion, with 1,300 Marines and 4,000 sailors taking part from ships just off the coast under a dazzling sun. Troops made their way to land by parachute, as part of underwater teams and on board amphibious landing craft — backed by screeching fighter jets and other aircraft.
Both Vance, a former Marine who served as a public affairs officer in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth celebrated the show of force and praised the gathered troops for their service to the country and for adhering to standards they argue have eroded in the quest for diversity under previous administrations.
The vice president reminded the troops that President Donald Trump found a way to at least temporarily see that they are paid during the shutdown.
“I’ve got to get just a little political because congressional Democrats seem to want to keep the government shut down even though it would mean that a lot of you would not get your paycheck,” he told the crowd.
