Vice President JD Vance countered a terrifying danger that simply went off, touching the tip of his skin this weekend. Reports say that his motorcade was struck by flying shrapnel during the chaotic Marine Corps live-fire event, which took place in Southern California. It was reported Saturday afternoon near Camp Pendleton, and was near the Interstate 5, which stays busy all day long with tons of motorists driving as the Marines celebrated their 250th anniversary.
How we feeling today, Tex?
They dropped shrapnel all over JD Vance’s motorcade.
When will you folks learn that betting on their competence is dumb money. pic.twitter.com/RNjK9TmBLz
— Captain Flume (@CplFlume) October 19, 2025
According to reports, a 155-millimeter shell went off prematurely, sending metal fragments raining down onto a California Highway Patrol vehicle, a motorcycle escorting the vice president, and the surrounding area. The explosion occurred near Las Pulgas Road, about three-quarters of a mile from the event site at White’s Beach, and just after 1:49 p.m., witnesses say, “all hell broke loose.”
Reports further say that there were zero people who got hurt, despite this massive chaos. Gavin Newsom, the California Governor, quickly ordered a 17-mile stretch of I-5 between Los Angeles and San Diego shut down for cleaning up the debris, a stretch used by nearly 80,000 commuters a day. Traffic, on the other hand also backed up for hours with officers working hard and fast to sweep the highway that comprised of shell fragments, and might reopen it around 2:20 p.m., as per The New York Times.
Governor Newsom didn’t mince words, slamming the White House for what he called a “reckless vanity project.” “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,” Newsom told The New York Times.
The Democratic governor, who’s been at odds with the Trump administration over troop deployments during anti-ICE protests earlier this year said he had warned officials ahead of time that live rounds so close to a major highway were “an accident waiting to happen.” The First Marine Expeditionary Force confirmed the incident, saying it is fully cooperating with investigators to figure out “the root causes” and make sure such a blunder “never happens again.”
Lt. Col. Lindsay Pirek said the Corps will “apply findings to future missions,” while Lt. Col. Brian Coleman admitted there had been tense back-and-forths between military and state officials in the days before the event, though he offered no more details. Tony Coronado, the Highway Patrol’s border division chief, called the situation “unusual and concerning.”
As for Vance, who was attending the high-profile military event alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, he’s reportedly refusing to comment on the mishap. According to patrol officers on the scene, it initially sounded like “small rocks” pelting their vehicles before they realized it was shrapnel from the shell blast. Several vehicles were left dented and damaged.
The live-fire demonstration was abruptly cut short after the incident, and officials later confirmed that a rehearsal the night before went smoothly with “no issues reported.” The final report notes that the Marines believed the exercise was taking place on “approved training ranges” and would “comply with established safety protocols.” Clearly, something went badly wrong.
