Karoline Leavitt Admits Her Family Had a Hard Time Accepting 32-Year Age Gap with Husband Nicholas Riccio

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt knows her relationship doesn’t look typical on paper — and she’s fine with that.

Leavitt, now 28, married 60-year-old real estate developer Nicholas Riccio in January 2025, just days before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration. Speaking on Pod Force One with Miranda Devine, she acknowledged that their union stands out.

“It is unusual,” she agreed after Devine described the marriage that way, joking that she genuinely hadn’t found men her own age who were as mature.

Leavitt explained that she met Riccio through a mutual friend while she was running for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, a race she ultimately lost. What drew her in, she said, was his drive and stability. She described Riccio as a self-made man who built his own career and is now in a position to fully support hers, something she deeply respects.

The couple became engaged over Christmas 2023 and welcomed their son, Nicholas Robert “Niko” Riccio, on July 10, 2024. Leavitt shared that, at first, the age gap was a tough subject to navigate with her family — especially because her husband is older than her mother. But, she said, once her parents, Bob and Erin, got to know Riccio and saw how devoted he is to her, their concerns faded. Today, she said, it feels like a typical family dynamic, with her husband showing strong respect for her parents and everyone enjoying time together when they visit.

Leavitt also opened up about the realities of working motherhood from one of the most high-pressure podiums in Washington. She sometimes brings Niko to the White House and admitted that balancing her role as press secretary with parenting is “very challenging.” She sets firm boundaries around evenings, aiming to be home for bedtime and only staying late when absolutely necessary. Weekends, she added, are reserved for soaking up as much family time as possible.

Another contrast in their relationship is personality: Leavitt described herself as outgoing and public-facing, while Riccio prefers the background. He stays off social media and keeps a low profile, but she called him an incredibly hands-on father who is best buddies with their son. At home, she said, he’s her biggest supporter — watching every interview and every press briefing.

Leavitt also reflected on returning to work sooner than she’d planned after giving birth, driven in part by the assassination attempt on Trump during the 2024 campaign. She believes motherhood actually makes her better at her job, because being a wife and mom is her top priority and keeps her grounded. With so much criticism built into the role of presidential spokesperson, she said it helps to know that when she goes home, she has a husband and a baby who just want her attention — not her talking points. That perspective, she added, leaves her with little time or energy to worry about what critics or the press say about her.