Plan to fire artillery over a California highway during JD Vance base visit irks governor

A plan to fire live artillery shells over a major Southern California highway as part of a military showcase attended on Saturday by Vice President JD Vance has drawn strong objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, who said safety concerns forced him to close a 27-kilometre portion of the interstate.

''The President is putting his ego over responsibility with this disregard for public safety,'' the Democratic governor said in a statement. ''Firing live rounds over a busy highway isn't just wrong -- it's dangerous.'' Vance and US Marine officials at Camp Pendleton have said there was nothing unsafe about the artillery exercise and no need to disrupt traffic on Interstate 5, which is the main highway along the Pacific coast between San Diego and Los Angeles.

The Republican vice president and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth visited Camp Pendleton in North San Diego County to celebrate the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary, and watch troops put on a show of amphibious vehicles and aircraft demonstrating a beach assault.

The state had considered closing the freeway earlier in the week, but the US Marines said Thursday that the event would occur on approved training ranges and comport with established safety protocols.

State transportation officials ultimately made the decision to close the freeway after practice firings over the freeway Friday evening and a request from event organisers for signage along the road stating ''Overhead fire in progress.'' California Highway Patrol closed a stretch of the highway on Saturday. Severe traffic delays were reported on Saturday morning and early afternoon in the area around the base.

''This is all because of the White House-directed military event, that for the safety of the public, we need to shut down the freeway since they're sending live ordinances over the freeway,'' California Department of Transportation spokesperson Matt Rocco said.

The Associated Press has reached out to Vance's office and the US Marines for comment.

In a statement to The New York Times, a spokesperson for Vance, William Martin, said Newsom is misleading the public about the safety risk. He said it was routine training.

''If Gavin Newsom wants to oppose the training exercises that ensure our Armed Forces are the deadliest and most lethal fighting force in the world, then he can go right ahead,'' Martin said.

Rocco said the I-5 closure could cost up to another two hours of trip time for those commuting between San Diego and Los Angeles. The freeway carries with 80,000 travellers and $94 million in freight through the corridor daily, according to the governor's office. Passenger rail services running parallel to the I-5 have also been cancelled for the afternoon.