White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, Addresses Her 'Atypical' 32-Year Age Gap with Husband
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03/17/2025 06:33 PM
Leavitt tied the knot with husband Nicholas Riccio, 59, in January 2025 after welcoming son Niko in 2024
Karoline Leavitt/Instagram
Nicholas Riccio (left) and Karoline Leavitt (right)Karoline Leavitt is opening up about her 32-year age gap with husband Nicholas Riccio. The couple tied the knot in January, just days before President Donald Trump's second inauguration.
Leavitt, the youngest press secretary in White House history at 27, published wedding pictures on Instagram on Monday, March 12, writing that she "finally found some time to post a few of my favorite pictures from one of my favorite days!"
In a recent interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, Leavitt opened up about her "atypical" relationship.
"He is my greatest supporter, he's my best friend and he's my rock," she raved of Riccio, 59. "He's built a very successful business himself so now he's fully supportive of me building my success in my career."
The couple met when Leavitt was running for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022. She won the Republican nomination, but ultimately lost the seat to Democrat Chris Pappas. However, the campaign ultimately led to advancements in Leavitt's personal and professional lives.
"A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband," she recalled of meeting Riccio. "I was speaking. We met and we were acquainted as friends. And then we fell in love."
When pressed by Kelly, Leavitt admitted that she did have some hesitation about their age gap at first. "I mean it's a very atypical love story but he's incredible," she raved.
"He's the father of my child and he's the best dad I could ever ask for," Leavitt continued. "And he is so supportive, especially during a very chaotic period of life... I say, 'I walked into your life and it's been a circus ever since,' but God bless him because he's fully on board."
Leavitt and Riccio got engaged over the Christmas holiday in 2023 and welcomed their son, Nicholas Robert Riccio, nicknamed "Niko," on July 10, 2024.
"It's true when they say there's nothing comparable to the love you feel for your child," Leavitt wrote in her Instagram post announcing the birth of her son. "My heart has grown bigger than I ever imagined possible. Babies are the ultimate blessing and I'm bursting with gratitude for our beautiful, happy, healthy boy."
Just days after giving birth, she returned to work on the Trump campaign, saying she was motivated to forgo maternity leave following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump in Butler, Penn.
"I looked at my husband and said, 'Looks like I'm going back to work,' " she told The Conservateur in an October 2024 interview.
"I felt compelled to be present in this historic moment," she added. "The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly."
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Leavitt told Kelly that her millionaire husband is nothing but supportive of all she does – though she's previously explained that she doesn't feel the need to show him off on social media.
"He's an introvert (complete opposite of me)," she told followers. "I respect his privacy on here—but he's my number one fan, the best dad, and just the best man I've ever met."
