Camp Pendleton, California - Vice President JD Vance recently held a 250th anniversary celebration for the US Marine Corp, which included the firing of live artillery rounds, as the No Kings protests rocked the nation.
During the event on Saturday, Vance delivered a speech in which he praised the "incredible display" of 155-millimeter M777 howitzer shells being fired from nearby Red Beach, which forced the state to close down a 17-mile stretch of the I-5 interstate highway between Los Angeles and San Diego.
Vance said it made his "heart sing," as it was "a testament to the core strength and unbeatable power."
"It reminded me why I am so proud to have worn the uniform... and to be the very first vice president to have been a United States Marine," he added.
Vance used the speech to take aim at Democrats, blaming them for the ongoing government shutdown that has caused service members to work without pay.
"We will do everything possible to make sure enlisted Marines get paid," Vance promised. "Political battles in Washington should not come at the expense of troops and their families."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the crowd, at one point telling soldiers that "your diversity is not your strength, never has been. Your strength is in your unity of purpose."
Vance's event came the same day that millions of Americans participated in No Kings demonstrations across the nation to protest President Donald Trump's controversial leadership, which many have argued leans toward fascist and authoritarian qualities.
California Governor Gavin Newsom reacts to military demonstration
According to The Guardian, California Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement that by firing the rounds, Trump 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," Newsom argued. "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."
In an X post on Saturday, Newsom shared a video showing a couch with "JD WAS HERE" graffiti on it, along with the caption, "WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA, WE MADE SURE YOU FEEL RIGHT AT HOME," in a nod to the infamous couch memes that have followed the vice president.