I guess this is better than missiles. A few days ago we ran a piece here that “Trump May Launch Missiles From Warships Into California This Weekend.” No missiles but live munitions. What the flaming hell is wrong with this man’s *judgement?* If you can answer that, you probably will succeed where Trump has failed, in getting a Nobel Prize. You’ll get it in medicine, for figuring out what ails Trump besides his edema and probable heart condition. The New York Times, as usual, is running headlines straight out of MAD Magazine.
Artillery Shell Detonated Over Interstate 5 During Marines’ Celebration, California Officials Say
The mishap, during an anniversary celebration for the Marine Corps attended by the vice president and defense secretary, underscores safety concerns that Gov. Gavin Newsom voiced before Saturday’s event at Camp Pendleton.
A 155-millimeter shell fired during a live-fire demonstration for the 250th anniversary of the Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton on Saturday prematurely detonated, dropping fragments of the shell on a California Highway Patrol vehicle and motorcycle that were part of Vice President JD Vance’s protective detail, according to a patrol report.
No officers were hurt in the mishap, which dropped shrapnel onto the vehicles parked on a ramp to a major freeway that had been ordered closed by Gov. Gavin Newsom. The governor had objected to the plan to fire over the freeway, Interstate 5, and ordered a 17-mile stretch closed — against the guidance of military officials, who had said it was safe for it to remain open.
According to the patrol report, one officer described what sounded like pebbles hitting his motorcycle and the area around him, and two others saw a two-inch piece of shrapnel hit the hood of their patrol vehicle, leaving a small dent. The report says shrapnel was also found on the road near the motorcycle.
Mr. Newsom had warned that the Marine Corps’ plans to fire artillery shells over Interstate 5, the West Coast’s main north-south artery, could pose hazards for motorists on the stretch between Los Angeles and San Diego. The closure he ordered on Saturday caused significant backups on the portion of the interstate, which is used by approximately 80,000 people daily.
This is beyond political theater, this is haphazard, irresponsible and I have to believe it’s illegal as hell. I do anticipate hearing a lot of commentary about that as the week progresses. 80,000 people were potentially put in harm’s way by the titular president of the United States.
I say titular because he holds the title and unfortunately, the power that goes with it, but he is not doing the job that all of his predecessors have done, including what he did in his own first administration. Trump was a bumbling buffoon then but he was not playing with military ordnance like it was a 4th of July sparkler.
The man is becoming progressively more unhinged and dangerous. And he has a special vendetta going for California and Illinois and the governors of those respective states. The president’s job is to protect us from all threats, foreign and domestic. Trump’s job, therefore, is to protect us from himself. I do not hold high hopes for that. This is all going to get a lot worse before something finally pops — whether it’s a blood vessel in Trump’s body or a nuclear bomb, who can say?
I’m not being hyperbolic. Trump is nuts. This is not even remotely normal and the people in his inner circle seem hellbent on denying responsibility (You remember Mike Johnson saying, “I don’t control him,”) or attempting to gaslight the country that this is all fun and games. It is way beyond fun and games. Like January 6, somebody is going to get crippled, maimed or killed.
