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Wednesday, April 29, 2026

Live Nation's $30 ticket deal begins today. How to purchase

April 29, 2026
Live Nation's $30 ticket deal begins today. How to purchase

Concerts are affordable with this limited-time deal.

USA TODAY

Live Nation'sSummer of Live!promotion offers fans $30 concert tickets, all fees included, for more than 4,000 shows, allowing you to see your favorite artist for a low cost.

"Some moments only happen once – your favorite song, your favorite artist, your favorite season," the companysaid in their announcement.

If you missed the presales, there's still a chance to get tickets. Here's how.

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<p style=Def Leppard

The veteran British glam rockers will be asking Las Vegas, “Do you wanna get rocked?” at their new dozen-concert residency at Caesars Palace. Singer Joe Elliott told USA TODAY the band wants to keep some “mystique” about show plans but, “Vegas will have a new concept.”

Dates: Feb. 3 - Feb. 28 (Las Vegas). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Brandi Carlile

The Americana sweetheart is supporting her eighth studio album – and first solo project in four years – “Returning to Myself,” released in October. She’ll be joined by The Head and the Heart.

Dates: Feb. 10 (Philadelphia) – March 6 (San Francisco). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Cardi B

The hip-hop maven embarks on her Little Miss Drama Tour – its name drawn from her second studio album that released in September – for more than 30 dates. It’s her first tour in six years and her first arena outing.

Dates: Feb. 11 (Palm Desert, California) – April 18 (Atlanta). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Lady Gaga

The Mayhem Ball was unequivocally the most spectacular road show of 2025. The indefatigable Gaga is back for a second North American leg that will hit some new cities (Atlanta, Boston, Washington DC) and return her captivating pop-opera to others (Los Angeles, New York) because of insatiable demand.

Dates: Feb. 14 (Glendale, Arizona) – April 13 (New York). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Conan Gray

Following the major success of his fourth studio album, “Wishbone,” which bore the dreamy “This Song” and “Vodka Cranberry,” the sensitive singer-songwriter will circle North American arenas with Esha Tewari before heading to Europe and Australia.

Dates: Feb. 19 (Minneapolis) – March 20 (Los Angeles). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Zach Bryan

Following the recent release of his sixth album, “With Heaven on Top,” the alt-country singer-songwriter will launch another slate of stadium shows to promote the 25-song effort. He’s also tapped a heady supporting cast: Kings of Leon and Ben Howard, Alabama Shakes and Caamp.

Dates: March 7 (St. Louis) - Oct. 10 (Auburn, Alabama). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Luke Combs

Country megastar Combs has produced a stadium-sized career, and he’ll fill those venues on his My Kinda Saturday Night Tour, which kicks off the day after his new album, “The Way I Am,” arrives. Combs tapped guest performers – Dierks Bentley, The Script, Thomas Rhett, Thelma & James, among others – for various dates.

Dates: March 21 (Las Vegas) – June 6 (Toronto). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Lily Allen

The forthright British songbird hasn’t toured North America since 2018, and is only doing nine concerts before heading back to the U.K. this summer. But she’ll make them memorable. Her Lily Allen Performs West End Girl will find her performing her intense new album, “West End Girl,” start to finish.

Dates: April 3 (Chicago) – April 28 (San Francisco). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Florence + The Machine

Florence Welch – an ever-captivating and a dazzling stage presence – will lead her band through a romp inspired by her sixth album, “Everybody Scream,” released on Halloween. She’ll be joined by Rachel Chinouriri, Sofia Isella and other artists on varying dates.

Dates: April 8 (Minneapolis) – May 20 (Los Angeles). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Demi Lovato

It’s been four years since Lovato’s last major outing and she’s primed to bring her nearly two decades (!) of hits to 23 cities. Touring behind last year’s “It’s Not That Deep,” which marked her return to pop, Lovato will welcome ADÉLA as her special guest.

Dates: April 8 (Charlotte) – May 25 (Houston). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bruno Mars

While he hasn’t headlined a tour since 2017, the song-and-dance man has hardly been idle. He's helmed a popular Vegas residency and club opening as well as moonlighting with Silk Sonic and appearing on hits with Lady Gaga and Rosé. His grand return for The Romantic Tour – his fourth album, “The Romantic,” – will play nearly 70 stadium shows across North America and Europe and was met with instant sellouts.

Dates: April 10 (Las Vegas) – Oct. 17 (Vancouver). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=BTS

Cue the eardrum-shattering screams because the K-pop conquerors are back. A 70-plus date world tour featuring an in-the-round stage should sate the BTS Army, especially since it’s the group’s first headline tour since 2022. A new record, “Arirang,” is also expected this year.

Dates: April 25 (Tampa) - Sept. 6 (Los Angeles). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=No Doubt

The effervescent ska-punk of the “Tragic Kingdom” quartet will meld with the remarkable technology at Sphere Las Vegas for what is sure to be a colorful show. Gwen Stefani, Tony Kanal, Tom Dumont and Adrian Young have 18 performances set at the venue to host their cache of ‘90s and ‘00s smashes.

Dates: May 6 - June 13 (Las Vegas). More here. 

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Alex Warren

The voice behind the ubiquitous “Ordinary” released his full-length debut album, “You’ll Be Alright, Kid,” in July (with Jelly Roll and Rosé popping on a couple of songs). He’ll parlay his burgeoning success on his Little Orphan Alex Live tour with a run of 28 North American amphitheaters and arenas.

Dates: May 25 (Nashville) - July 28 (Cheyenne, Wyoming). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=5 Seconds of Summer

The Australian pop-rockers show their sense of humor on new album “Everyone’s a Star!” with the single “Boyband.” They’ll take their polished riffs to Europe in the early part of the year before hitting more than three dozen arenas and amphitheaters in North America.

Dates: May 29 (Uncasville, Connecticut) - Aug. 28 (Mountain View, California). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Rosalía

The global superstar broke through in a major way with “LUX,” her fourth full-length album released in November featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, Björk, Carminho and Estrella Morente, among others. Her LUX Tour 2026 will play 42 arena shows in 17 countries.  

Dates: June 4 (Miami) - July 3 (San Diego). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ariana Grande

It’s a long way from “Wicked” as Grande embarks on her first tour in six years. The album she’s ostensibly supporting, “Eternal Sunshine,” arrived in March 2024, but Grande spent the last couple of years exploring her acting interests and hinted that she will return to that path following this excursion.

Dates: June 6 (Oakland, California) – Aug. 6 (Chicago). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Rush

Even Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson were surprised at the demand that met the first seven dates they announced on their Fifty Something tour, their first since 2015. Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Neil Peart died in 2020, but the Canadian rockers will be joined by Anika Nilles behind the kit.

Dates: June 7 (Los Angeles) – Dec. 17 (Vancouver). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Ed Sheeran

Following a spate of shows in Australia and South America, the affable Sheeran will land in North America for a stadium run. Sheeran is rocking a pink-hued motif for the tour in support of his eighth studio album, “Play,” which spawned the hits “Azizam,” “Sapphire” and “Camera.”

Dates: June 13 (Glendale, Arizona) – Nov. 7 (Tampa). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi was extremely candid in the band’s fulfilling Hulu documentary, “Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story,” about the devastating vocal cord issues that robbed him of his singing voice. But following surgery and intensive rehab, one of rock’s greatest frontmen and the rest of his Jersey boys are ready to rock again with a nine-show residency at Madison Square Garden before heading to Ireland and the U.K. for another handful of shows.

Dates: July 7-26 (New York). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Olivia Dean

It’s been quite the whirlwind year for the young London native, whose second album, “The Art of Loving,” earned her a best new artist Grammy nomination and commandeered radio with the soulful pop of “Man I Need” and “Nice to Each Other.” Her The Art of Loving Live tour is her most ambitious as she plays all arenas for the first time.

Dates: July 10 (San Francisco) – Aug. 29 (Austin, Texas). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Motley Crue

Two decades after steamrolling through venues with their Carnival of Sins tour, Motley Crue is resurrecting the explosive production for its 20th anniversary as well as the 45th anniversary of the band. The Return of the Carnival of Sins – featuring updated staging and set lists – will hit 33 cities with Tesla and Extreme in tow.

Dates: July 17 (Burgettstown, Pennsylvania) – Sept. 26 (Ridgefield, Washington). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Guns N' Roses

The band – Axl Rose, Duff McKagan, Slash, Dizzy Reed, Richard Fortus, Isaac Carpenter and Melissa Reese – have returned to their road warrior ways following a 2025 world tour and a 2026 that finds them roaring through South America and Europe before journeying to North America. Among GNR’s dates is a Sept. 5 return to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, their first time playing the stadium in more than 30 years.   

Dates: July 24 (Raleigh, North Carolina) – Aug. 22 (Las Vegas). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Foo Fighters

Their last stadium tour, the 2023-24 Everything or Nothing at All run, sold out stadiums worldwide. The Foos – Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett, Rami Jaffee and Ilan Rubin – will go another round in 12 (for now, they say) North American cities this summer. Queens of the Stone Age will open all dates except Sept. 12 in Fargo, North Dakota.

Dates: Aug. 4 (Toronto) – Sept. 26 (Las Vegas). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=My Chemical Romance

The celebration continues for the emo-punk-rockers, who last year kickstarted an anniversary tour to revisit their standout 2006 rock opera, “The Black Parade.” Skits and costumes are prevalent as the band – Gerard Way, Ray Toro, Mikey Way and Frank Iero – tears through their landmark album in full before a second set of ragers.

Dates: Aug. 9 (New York) – Oct. 31 (Hollywood, California). More here.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> <p style=Harry Styles

The pop superstar is bringing fans Together. Together with a seven-city worldwide residency including 30 shows at Madison Square Garden with Jamie xx. Styles’ outing will support his upcoming fourth solo release, “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” due March 6.

Dates: Aug. 26 through Oct. 31

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Who is on tour in 2026? Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, BTS, Rush and more

Def LeppardThe veteran British glam rockers will be asking Las Vegas, “Do you wanna get rocked?” at their new dozen-concert residency at Caesars Palace. Singer Joe Elliotttold USA TODAYthe band wants to keep some “mystique” about show plans but, “Vegas will have a new concept.”Dates:Feb. 3 - Feb. 28 (Las Vegas).More here.

Tour:Logc, G-Eazy bring Endless Summer tour Part II back, get tickets now

When does Live Nation's Summer of Live general sale begin?

Kesha performs on stage during the Wawa Welcome America Fourth of July Concert at Benjamin Franklin Parkway on July 04, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The sale runs from April 29, 10 a.m. local time to May 5, 11:59 p.m. local time. Tickets are available onthe Live Nation website. According to the company, the promotion applies only to certain shows, and inventory is limited and expected to sell out.

Artists listed included in the deal:

  • Ari Lennox

  • 5 Seconds of Summer

  • Wu-Tang Clan

  • Summer Walker

  • Goo Goo Dolls

  • Kesha

  • Yeat

  • Kali Uchis

  • Lil Wayne

Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Live Nation's Summer of Live $30 concert deal starts today. How to buy

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Hilary Duff Shares Cute New Clips of Daughter Townes Ahead of Her 2nd Birthday: 'The Things We Do for These Giggles'

April 29, 2026
Hilary Duff Shares Cute New Clips of Daughter Townes Ahead of Her 2nd Birthday: 'The Things We Do for These Giggles'

Hilary Duff shared some adorable Instagram clips of her daughter Townes laughing and playing ahead of her 2nd birthday

People Hilary Duff; daughter TownesCredit: Taylor Hill/WireImage; Hilary Duff/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

  • Another video showed Townes hilariously telling her mom, "No, no pictures"

  • Townes will turn 2 on Sunday, May 3

Hilary Duffwill do anything to make her kids laugh!

On Tuesday, April 28, the singer and actress, 38, posted a series of cute clips of her youngest daughter Townes, 23 months, as the mother-daughter duo had some sweet moments together.

The first clip showed Duff making cat and bird noises as Townes, who turns 2 on May 3, played with her hair and smiled at the camera.

The mom of four then started rolling around on a rug, in what appeared to be Townes’ bedroom, as Townes laughed repeatedly, before running and burying her face in a beanbag.

Hilary Duff and daughter TownesCredit: Hilary Duff/Instagram

Duff then followed her daughter and started tickling her while pretending to be a cat, as Townes continued to giggle.

“The things we do for these soul soothing giggles,” Duff wrote across the video on her Instagram Stories.

TheYoungerstar next shared a clip of her daughter playing with two dinosaur figurines and hilariously telling her mom she didn’t want to be on camera.

“No, no pictures,” Townes said as she threw her arms up in the air.

Hilary Duff and daughter TownesCredit: Hilary Duff/Instagram

“No 📸 Also please note shirt,” wrote Duff, referencing Townes’ T-shirt, which appeared to feature lyrics from her 2003 track “What Dreams Are Made Of.”

The video was followed by a photo of Townes beaming at the camera in her cute blue cardigan with the caption, “But she’s so cute.”

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Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma's daughter TownesCredit: Hilary Duff/Instagram

TheLizzie McGuirealumannounced Townes’ birthon May 7, 2024, sharing that she welcomed her little girl in ahome water birth.

Duff shares Townes, as well as older daughtersBanks, 7,Mae, 5, with her husbandMatthew Koma. She is also mom to sonLuca, 14, with her ex-husband, Mike Comrie.

Earlier this month, Duff told PEOPLE how Koma and herbroodwill bejoining her this summerwhen she embarks on herThe Lucky Me tour.

Hilary Duff with husband Matthew Koma and her four kidsCredit: Hilary Duff/Instagram

"I spent hours with my assistant [looking at] the tour schedule, being like, 'Okay, I want them here for this stretch. They can go home these days,' " Duff said. "It's been a lot of logistics that can seriously bend a brain, but it's going to be an adventure."

"All of these cities have so much to offer, and I feel like there would be no other time when my kids would see the U.S. like this, so we're just thinking of it as a big, long road trip," she continued to PEOPLE, adding with a laugh: "And hopefully, they don't get bored with seeing my show every night."

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Duff went on to share that her son Luca will be “bopping in and out” of the tour, joking, "[He's] a teenager, so he's not going to be giving me four weeks of his summer.”

"I think that the little ones are going to be there most of the time," she added.

Her tour is set to kick off on June 22 in West Palm Beach, Florida. As well as touring cities across the U.S., Duff is also due to perform in Canada, Mexico, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.

Read the original article onPeople

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Tuesday, April 28, 2026

All About “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”, the Latest “Big Bang Theory” Spinoff Centered on Stuart Bloom

April 28, 2026
All About “Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”, the Latest “Big Bang Theory” Spinoff Centered on Stuart Bloom

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is the latest spinoff of The Big Bang Theory

People John Ross Bowie, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman and Brian Posehn in 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe'Credit: HBO Max

NEED TO KNOW

  • The series stars Kevin Sussman as Stuart Bloom, reprising his role from the long-running sitcom

  • Stuart Fails to Save the Universe will premiere this summer

The world ofThe Big Bang Theoryis blending sci-fi with sitcom in the upcoming seriesStuart Fails to Save the Universe.

The latest entry in the franchise,Stuart Fails to Save the Universe,joins otherBig Bang Theoryseries, includingYoung SheldonandGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriage.Young Sheldonended in 2024 after seven seasons, and season 2 ofGeorgie & Mandy's First Marriageis set to conclude in May 2026, but it has already been renewed for an upcoming third season, perDeadline. It has been seven years sinceThe Big Bang Theoryleft the air in 2019.

On April 26, HBO Max unveiled a first look at the upcoming show during a panel at CCXP Mexico City. The series is expected to stream on the platform in the summer of 2026.

Here's everything to know about the latestBig Bang Theoryspinoff,Stuart Fails to Save the Universe.

What isStuart Fails to Save the Universeabout?

John Ross Bowie, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman and Brian Posehn in 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe'Credit: HBO Max

Stuart Fails to Save the Universeis bringing multiverse madness to theBig Bang Theoryuniverse.

The spinoff follows comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman), who "is tasked with restoring reality after he breaks a device built by Sheldon and Leonard, accidentally bringing about a multiverse Armageddon," per theofficial logline.

Stuart is accompanied by his girlfriend Denise (Lauren Lapkus) and his friends as they run into "alternate-universe versions" of beloved characters fromThe Big Bang Theory.

"As the title implies, things don’t go well," ends the synopsis.

Who is in the cast ofStuart Fails to Save the Universe?

John Ross Bowie, Lauren Lapkus, Kevin Sussman, Brian Posehn in 'Stuart Fails to Save the Universe'Credit: HBO Max

Sussman is reprising his role of Stuart, which he played on seasons 2-12 of the originalBig Bang Theory. OtherBig Bang Theorycast members returning are Lapkus as Denise, Stuart's girlfriend, Brian Posehn as his geologist friend Bert and John Ross Bowie as "quantum physicist/all-around pain in the ass" Barry Kripke.

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Since "alternative-universe versions" ofBig Bang Theorycharacters are expected to show up, other actors from the sitcom could make an appearance.

In a July 2025 interview withTV Line, whenBig Bang Theoryfranchise co-creator Chuck Lorre was asked ifJim ParsonsandJohnny Galecki— who played Sheldon and Leonard on the flagship series — would be reprising their characters forStuart Fails to Save the Universe.Lorre said, "I cannot speak to that."

"That is a closely guarded piece of information that, you know," he teased. "I've taken a blood oath regarding."

Most recently,Parsons said he wouldn't come back for a rebootduring an April 2026 appearance onThe View. “I don’t believe I would do a reboot,” he said, adding of his famous character, “I can’t say I miss him, partly because, especially 12 years on a TV show where they’re writing for this specific actor, there’s a lot of me in that. Not the genius part, but there’s a lot of me in that.”

While not a cast member, it was also revealed at the CCXP Mexico City panel that Danny Elfman created the original theme music for the upcoming series.

When doesStuart Fails to Save the Universepremiere?

Brain Posehn, Kevin Sussman and Lauren Lapkus in 'Stuart Fails To Save The Universe'Credit: Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max

Stuart Fails to Save the Universewill debut in July 2026 on HBO Max, but an exact premiere date has not been announced.

In February 2026, Lorre spoke with PEOPLE aboutStuart Fails to Save the Universe, calling it "a science fiction action-adventure comedy."

“We just finished principal photography and I'm pretty excited about it.It's a big swing," he continued. “I think it will be revered or reviled. I'm not sure which.”

Where can I watchStuart Fails to Save the Universe?

Lauren Lapkus and Kevin Sussman in 'Stuart Fails To Save The Universe'Credit: Colin Remas Brown/HBO Max

Stuart Fails to Save the Universewill be available to stream onHBO Max.

Read the original article onPeople

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The silent, terrifying moment a gunman rushed security at the W.H. correspondents' dinner

April 28, 2026
The silent, terrifying moment a gunman rushed security at the W.H. correspondents' dinner

The rush of guests entering the White House correspondents’ dinner was over, and now Helen Mabus, a volunteer ticket checker, had a moment to herself.

NBC Universal

“It was very quiet,” she recalled.

But just then a man out in the corridor caught her attention: He was holding what she quickly realized was a rifle. Before she could react, he tore off toward the security checkpoint about 40 feet away.

“He either unfolded a part of the gun or pieced it together,” Mabus said. “It became longer before my eyes. And within seconds, he was shooting.”

At that moment, Erin Thielman, an Air Force veteran attending the dinner at the Washington Hilton Saturday evening, was ascending the staircase leading from the ballroom entrance to the upper level where guests were screened. She was calling her son who was babysitting her other two children.

Erin Thielman, an Air Force veteran, attended the White House Correspondents' Association dinner in Washington, D.C., with her husband on April 25. (Courtesy Erin Thielman)

“I heard three or four really loud bangs, and I saw this man charging towards me,” she said. “He was carrying a shotgun.”

In an instant, the gunman went down, landing at Thielman’s feet.

“I didn’t even have to take a step to touch him,” she said. “I could have just bent down.”

The man was motionless, lying facedown with his hands flat on the ground and the gun beside his shoulder, Thielman said. She raced down the stairs assuming he had been shot. But officials have said that wasn’t the case — the gunman fell to the ground as the Secret Service agents he sprinted past opened fire.

“Maybe he just decided it was really a bad idea, and he was going to fall down in a defenseless position,” Thielman said. “I don’t know.”

A photograph shared on President Donald Trump's Truth Social account of the alleged gunman outside the White House Correspondents' Association dinner. (via Truth Social)

What is clear is that the gunman — identified by authorities as Cole Allen, 31, a paying guest at the Hilton — bypassed multiple layers of security at an event attended by President Donald Trump, several top Cabinet officials and more than 2,500 journalists, politicians and other VIPs.

Allen hit the ground at the top of a staircase that led down to the entrance of the ballroom where all those guests dressed in evening wear were packed around tables awaiting an evening of lobster and speeches. The sound of gunfire set off a terrifying scramble as Secret Service and private security officers vaulted over chairs to reach the people they were charged with protecting and others hid under tables.

But no one inside the ballroom was hurt, so the Secret Service did its job, security experts say. The only injury was to a Secret Service agent who took a bullet to his vest and will survive.

Still, that an amateur gunman acting alone made it as close as he did to the president has prompted some security experts to wonder what might have happened had the attempt been carried out by more capable or determined actors.

“The thing that’s concerning is let’s say this is not this feckless hapless boob who is trying to do this,” said Jim Cavanaugh, a retired ATF agent who has worked on Secret Service details. “It’s half a dozen suicide fanatics from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard or ISIS-K, and they check in with submachine guns and hand grenades.”

“You want to have a stronger perimeter with the climate we have now,” added Cavanaugh, who is an NBC News law enforcement analyst.

The White House will hold a meeting with Secret Service and Department of Homeland Security leadership “early this week” to discuss the attempted attack and review protocols for major events, a senior White House official said Monday.

At an afternoon press conference, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the actions of the Secret Service. “This man was a floor above the ballroom with hundreds of federal agents between him and the president of the United States,” Blanche said.

“Law enforcement did not fail,” he added. “They did exactly what they are trained to do.”

Thielman, the Air Force veteran who attended the dinner, said the security was standard for high-profile events. She had to show her ticket twice, then get her bag checked and go through a metal detector to enter the ballroom.

“I know they’re doing the best they can and that’s a hard situation,” she said of the Secret Service agents.

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Allen was charged Monday with three counts: attempting to assassinate the president, interstate transportation of weapons and discharge of a firearm during a violent crime. He did not enter a plea.

He had checked into the Washington Hilton hotel at 3 p.m. the day before, according to an FBI affidavit, after traveling by train from Los Angeles, where he lived.

On the evening of the dinner, he used a staircase to reach the floor where guests were screened, a senior federal law enforcement official said.

At the time of his arrest, Allen had a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and a .38-caliber semiautomatic pistol, according to an FBI affidavit.

In an email he sent to his family shortly before launching the attack, Allen wrote that he was surprised at how easy it was to bring guns into a hotel where the president would be the following day.

“I walk in with multiple weapons and not a single person there considers the possibility that I could be a threat,” Allen wrote, according to a copy of the message shared with NBC News by a senior administration official. “The security at the event is all outside, focused on protesters and current arrivals, because apparently no one thought about what happens if someone checks in the day before.”

Anthony Cangelosi, a retired Secret Service agent, said his former agency would have certainly planned for that possibility, but it highlights the challenges in securing events at large multi-use buildings like hotels.

“While the Secret Service can make some alterations to the normal flow of business at a hotel during security events, there are limitations,” Cangelosi said.

Three square holes in an interior wall of a hotel. (Julie Tsirkin / NBC News)

The Secret Service has been under a microscope since a would-be assassin managed to fire several shots at Trump during a campaign event in Pennsylvania in 2024, injuring him and killing a rally attendee.

Robert McDonald, a retired Secret Service agent, said he thinks the agents on hand at the Washington event performed admirably, but there are still lessons to be taken away.

“Do we ever want a shooter to blow by the magnetometers like that and start peeling off rounds? Absolutely not,” said McDonald, who is now a professor at the University of New Haven. “But that’s why we’re there.”

“Once the advance is done and somebody tries to do some nefarious activity, then you have to move into a reactive fashion,” McDonald added. “That’s exactly what they did last night.”

The Washington Hilton has hosted presidential events for decades. In 1981, a would-be assassin opened fire on President Ronald Reagan outside the hotel. But he survived the attack, as did a Secret Service agent who took a bullet for the president.

The role of the Secret Service is to safeguard the specific individuals known as protectees. As a result, there was far less security at other recent White House Correspondents' Association dinners, which the president did not attend.

Some attendees of last weekend’s event were left feeling exposed after agents rushed in to evacuate the president and other top officials.

Security Scare at The White House Correspondents' Dinner with President Trump (Andrew Harnik / Getty Images)

One House GOP lawmaker told NBC News they were surprised — and unsettled — by the lack of a clear security plan for the many rank-and-file members who attended the dinner.

Members of congressional leadership, who have a 24/7 protective detail from the United States Capitol Police, were evacuated from the dinner in the moments after the shooting, but other lawmakers were left locked down inside the ballroom.

Mabus, the ticket checker, said her colleagues had stepped away to eat dinner when she spotted the gunman. He was in a space outside the service elevators where hotel staff had been passing through to transport bar carts.

But at that moment, it was only him in the corridor and only her in the area where she had been checking guests’ tickets.

“There was a lull, and I think he was out of sight of security,” Mabus said. “I didn’t see how he got there.”

Mabus said she expected to be contacted by federal investigators, but as of Monday afternoon she was still waiting to hear from them.

“I think I may be the only person who was there to witness him at that moment,” she said.

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We Asked Our Clients To Share Their Most Personal Tattoos, Here Are 14 Of Our Favorites

April 28, 2026
We Asked Our Clients To Share Their Most Personal Tattoos, Here Are 14 Of Our Favorites

Some tattoos hold onto fragments of life that might otherwise fade: a familiar voice, a shared joke, a place that still lingers somewhere in memory. Not polished or perfect, but honest. A child’s sketch, a word that carries weight, an image that brings you back to a specific moment—things that might seem ordinary from the outside, yet feel essential from within.

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What gives them value isn’t how they look, but what they reference. Below is a selection of pieces shared by our clients—each one tied to something specific, even if that meaning isn’t immediately visible.

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A simple teddy bear, drawn by his child and recreated exactly as it was. No changes, no corrections—just a memory, kept forever.

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

These tattoos are a reminder that meaning doesn’t have to be complex to matter. It can be something small, playful, or even slightly absurd, something that might not make sense to anyone else, but holds real significance for the person wearing it.

They’re not made to impress. They come from more personal places—family, memory, identity, the quiet details that shape who you are. A parent’s name, a child’s drawing, a favourite meal, or a fragment of childhood that still lingers.

In the end, it’s rarely about the tattoo itself. It’s about the story it carries, and the reason it stayed.

For some, belief is what carried them through the hardest moments. “For the moments when faith was all he had.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Holding his hand, like always.

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

“A small piece of home, always there.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Her favourite flowers, and the two dates that changed everything.

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Some tattoos are just about happiness—a favourite food, a shared joke, or something that instantly lifts your mood.

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© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

They’re part of the family, in every way that matters. “Not just a pet—family, always.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

The things you pass down matter just as much as anything else. “The things they love, passed from one to the next.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Some bonds are simple—but they last. “A small reminder of the people who stayed.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Not all memories come from people—some come from the things that shaped your childhood. Tattoos like this are a way of keeping that connection alive.

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Heritage doesn’t always need explaining. “Rooted in Scotland, no matter how far I go.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

For his daughter—forever his little one. “Because they don’t stay this little for long."

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

For his cheeky boy—the one he’d do anything for.

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

Some tattoos say everything in just a few letters. Mom’s name on his forearm. “Everything I am started with her.”

© Photo:Sacred Gold Tattoo London

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