U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Fernando Castro, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, aims an FIM-92 Stinger missile on a combat rubber raiding craft during exercise Hagåtña Fury 21 on Ukibaru, Japan, Feb. 18, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kallahan Morris)

CAMP PENDLETON, California — Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance touched down Saturday afternoon at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton to witness a full-force amphibious demonstration marking the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps.

Since taking office in January, the Trump administration has emphasized strengthening America’s military and restoring its professional and physical standards to usher in a new era for the men and women serving the nation. The Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) joined the vice president — a former Marine himself — and more than 15,000 Marines, sailors, and veterans to celebrate the Corps’s legacy with what officials said was the largest combined amphibious gathering in 30 years.

VP Vance and Second Lady Usha here on site as demonstrations begin shortly @DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/0ncKXOTXS7

— Hailey Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) October 18, 2025

At a training site on base, the DCNF observed a roughly 45-minute joint simulation of how U.S. forces could respond to an attack. With F-35s roaring overhead and Navy ships seen from the shoreline, Marines and Navy SEALs executed their coordinated assault exercises.

The SEALs swam ashore after being dropped into the Pacific Ocean, followed by a fleet of LCACs (landing craft air cushions) that stormed the beach. The LCACs, the DCNF was told, were carrying the Marine Corps’s NMESIS, or Navy/Marine Corps Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System, one of the Corps’s newest systems designed to target and destroy enemy ships.

Some more footage from earlier during Camp Pendleton’s demonstration for the VP and Second Lady that I wasn’t able to post at the time — but these are LCAC’s arriving on shore! pic.twitter.com/AArhAHRfMd

— Hailey Grace Gomez (@haileyggomez) October 19, 2025

The celebration of Marine tradition came the same day “No Kings” rallies took place in major U.S. cities, including San Diego and Los Angeles. In the days leading up to the event, speculation over whether California would close the I-5 freeway near the base fueled partisan debate.

Signs along the freeway appeared to confirm closures. In addition, Democrat California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press office said Saturday the shutdown was due to “extreme life safety risk and distraction to drivers” caused by live ammunition used during the demonstration.

The governor’s announcement came a day after he called the artillery display a “profoundly absurd show of force that could put Californians directly in harm’s way.” The DCNF, however, was told that the Marines believed the freeway could have remained open safely.

While a handful of protesters were present outside the base later that evening, Marines appeared in full force for the demonstration and remained in high spirits for the speeches that followed.

As the full fleet of aircraft roared overhead to close the demonstration, Vance and the second lady joined Secretary of War Pete Hegseth at Del Mar Beach to deliver remarks to thousands of Marines, sailors, and their families.

“You, ladies and gentlemen, are the backbone of the United States military. You always have been, and that’s why we’re proud to honor you today,” Hegseth told the crowd. “In the most critical battles our nation has ever faced, it is often Marines, forged by unique traditions and tough-as-nails training, who land first. They volunteer to put themselves in harm’s way thanks to the blood and sweat of men who came before you.”

With Marines loudly echoing “hoorah” throughout his speech, Hegseth said the Corps’s motto, “Semper Fidelis” (“always faithful”), is a way of life. “Your diversity is not your strength,” he added, but rather “your unity of purpose” in both mission and oath to the Constitution.

“You see, you are set apart. You’re not civilians. You’re devil dogs, leathernecks, United States Marines,” Hegseth said. “You are set apart for a distinct purpose. You kill bad guys and break things for a living. You close with and destroy the enemy for a living. And as we mark the 250th birthday of the Marine Corps, take a moment and remember where you are in the great American story.”

Vance followed Hegseth, and was greeted by cheers and more “hoorahs” from the crowd. The vice president began with shoutouts to present individuals before addressing the ongoing government shutdown led by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who rallied Democrats to vote down a GOP-led spending bill.

WATCH: Vice President JD Vance steps out onto the stage to give remarks to the thousands of Marines in attendance pic.twitter.com/b6w6LUUJrd

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) October 18, 2025

Vance joked he told President Donald Trump they needed to find a way to keep Marine paychecks coming. The vice president said it wouldn’t be just for the sake of the Marines, but “because if we don’t pay our enlisted Marines, every bar in Southern California is going to go out of business,” he added, drawing roaring applause.

“The War of Independence set a blueprint that Marines follow to this day. Boldness in action, unity in purpose, and a lightning readiness to go wherever the nation required. In battle after battle, the United States Marine Corps has broken the backs of empires, you’ve toppled tyrants, you’ve hanged pirates, and hunted down America’s foes across the seven seas,” Vance continued. “And Pete, it turns out we’re hunting some pirates today, aren’t we? From Tripoli to the halls of Montezuma, from Belleau Wood to Iwo Jima, and from Chosin Reservoir to Khe Sanh, we Marines have repeatedly earned our reputation as the first to fight and the last to leave.”

Vance closed by reminding Marines of the weight of their calling:

My fellow Marines, you have the watch now. You honor that legacy by how you carry yourself in public. You honor it by how you treat your friends and family. You honor it by how you contribute to your communities, and most importantly, you honor it and how you fight and win the nation’s battles. So from one Vice President to an incredible United States Marine Corps, keep kicking ass, keep taking names. Semper Fidelis, Marines. Happy 250th birthday. God bless you.

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