White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt recently offered a rare glimpse into her family life by sharing a collection of fall-themed photos.
Last week, Leavitt, 28, posted a series of seasonal pictures featuring her husband, Nicholas Riccio, 60, and their 1-year-old son, Niko. The family attended the White House Halloween celebration, where the toddler appeared dressed as a pumpkin. Additional pictures showed the trio in coordinated orange-and-black outfits while enjoying a round of trick-or-treating.
Leavitt and Riccio became engaged during the 2023 Christmas holiday and welcomed their son, Nicholas Robert Riccio—lovingly called Niko—on July 10, 2024. They officially married in January 2025, just days before President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.
During a February 2025 interview on The Megyn Kelly Show, Leavitt opened up about her relationship and the public attention surrounding their 32-year age difference.
“He is my greatest supporter, he’s my best friend and he’s my rock,” she said of Riccio, a real estate developer. “He’s built a very successful business himself, so now he’s fully supportive of me building my success in my career.”
The couple first met in 2022 while Leavitt was running for Congress in New Hampshire. Though she didn’t win the election, she ultimately found a partner. She recalled that a mutual friend hosted an event at a restaurant in New Hampshire. “I was speaking. We met and we were acquainted as friends. And then we fell in love,” she said.
Leavitt also acknowledged initial hesitation regarding the age gap. “I mean, it’s a very atypical love story, but he’s incredible,” she explained.
“He’s the father of my child, and he’s the best dad I could ever ask for,” she 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 has previously shared that Riccio prefers to stay off social media. “He’s an introvert (complete opposite of me),” she said. “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.”
Leavitt has also recently faced scrutiny regarding her conduct toward members of the press. On Oct. 20, she posted a private message exchange between herself and HuffPost White House correspondent S.V. Dáte. In the conversation, Dáte asked about a planned meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and questioned who suggested Budapest as the location.
“Your mom did,” Leavitt responded.
When Dáte questioned whether she viewed the matter as “funny,” Leavitt replied, “It’s funny to me that you actually consider yourself a journal [sic]. You are a far left hack who nobody takes seriously, including your colleagues in the media, they just don’t tell you that to your face. Stop texting me your disingenuous, biased, and bull— questions.”
Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the exchange during an appearance on The View.
“I just feel like it is not appropriate to do online trolling and attack people in that way,” Jean-Pierre said. “It doesn’t help with the partisanship that we’re seeing right now. And also, that is not what the White House is supposed to be about. It’s supposed to be about every American person, every voter, every citizen that lives in this country and participates.”
