White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is well aware that the 32-year age gap between her and her husband raises eyebrows. Leavitt, 28, married 60-year-old real estate developer Nicholas Riccio in January 2025, just days before U.S. President Donald Trump’s inauguration.
In a recent appearance on the Pod Force One with Miranda Devine podcast, Leavitt described their relationship dynamic and acknowledged that the age difference isn’t typical.
“It is unusual,” she admitted.
When the host jokingly asked, “Could you not find boys your own age, who are as mature?” Leavitt laughed and replied, “Honestly, no, if you want to know the truth.”
Leavitt shared that she met Riccio in 2022 through mutual friends, while she was running for Congress in New Hampshire — a race she ultimately lost.
She also opened up about her parents’ initial hesitation, noting that her mother is younger than Riccio. “It’s definitely a challenging conversation to have at first,” she said.
“But then, of course, once they got to know him and saw who he is as a man, and his character and how much he adores me, I think it became quite easy for them,” Leavitt continued.
“And now we’re all friends. I mean, it’s a typical family relationship. My husband has such respect for my parents and the way that they raised me, and we all have a lot of fun together when they come to visit.”
Looking back on their relationship, Leavitt called Riccio a “self-made” man and praised both his personality and his success.
“We were acquainted as friends for quite some time, but then of course we fell in love. And here we are today. We are married, we have a beautiful baby. And he is just an amazing guy,” she said.
“He’s very introverted, unlike me,” she added. “He stays behind the scenes. He’s not on social media.”
“And he’s a self-made man, which I respect. He has a successful real estate business back home. He’s built his career, so he’s in a place where he can support me in mine.”
