By Nicole Cord-CruzJan. 30, 2025 9:00 am EST

Karoline Leavitt is stepping into the spotlight — and quite literally at that. At just 27, she’s become the youngest White House press secretary in history and eager to prove she belongs in Donald Trump’s media defense squad. But with her new role comes relentless scrutiny, and it’s not just about her qualifications. Her love life — specifically, the generous age gap with her husband, Nicholas “Nick” Riccio — is now prime gossip material.

Whether she’s actually equipped for the job remains to be seen, but Trump is fully backing her, giving her a public endorsement as he usually does with his handpicked cronies like Alina Habba. “Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator,” he said in a statement obtained by The Washington Post. “I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium, and help deliver our message to the American People as we Make America Great Again.” Leavitt, who’s already been branded a Kayleigh McEnany wannabe, seems determined to prove her worth. Case in point: she jumped back into work less than a week after giving birth to her son, Nicholas “Niko” Robert Riccio (yes, she named him after her husband). “I felt compelled to be present in this historic moment,” she told The Coveteur. “The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly.”

On the bright side, Riccio — a self-employed businessman — can hop on a plane at a moment’s notice to be wherever she is, baby in tow. Admirable? Maybe. But critics can’t help but fixate on that questionable age gap. The math is hard to ignore: When Leavitt was born, Riccio had already been legally ordering drinks for a decade.

Nicholas Riccio is reportedly over three decades older than Karoline

karolineleavitt / Instagram

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There’s no official record of Nicholas Riccio’s age, but a Sunday Herald feature from 2005 pegged him at 40. Do the math, and that means he was already 32 when Karoline Leavitt was born in 1997. For reference, Donald Trump has a huge age gap with Melania; he was nearly 24 when she was born — so even by Trumpworld standards, this gap is notable. What makes things even more interesting? Riccio wasn’t just some distant admirer — he was reportedly on Leavitt’s finance committee when she ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022, according to Notus. They married in 2023, and in July 2024, they welcomed baby Niko.

Leavitt’s critics, however, cannot let the age gap slide. Every time she posts family photos, the comments section lights up. “You’re [sic] ‘husband’ could be your grandfather. Yet you judge everyone else, disgusting,” one user wrote. “Is that your dad next to you??” questioned another. Over on X, formerly Twitter, the dragging continued. “I wondered how Karoline Leavitt went from failed congressional candidate in NH to Press Secretary but I learned she married a 60 year old so now it all makes sense,” one critic tweeted.

Leavitt, for her part, couldn’t care less. She insists they’re a perfect match. “He doesn’t have social media and he’s an introvert (complete opposite of me),” she shared on Instagram as to why her husband is only rarely seen with her online. “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.”

Who is Nicholas Riccio? Trump press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s husband went from homeless to millionaire

Karoline Leavitt made history when she became America’s youngest press secretary at 27, but the high achiever is also a devoted mother and loving wife.

Leavitt, who is known for her gun-loving ways and conservative values, had her first White House briefing on Tuesday, delivering barbed insults to ‘legacy media’ as well as announcing that social media influencers and content creators will be able to attend her briefings.

She then we on to declare ‘sanity has been restored,’ and that ‘Trump is everywhere again,’ immediately becoming the MAGA darling of the Trump administration.

Leavitt is also fast becoming a White House style icon, stunning in the Brady Press Briefing Room on Tuesday in a gorgeous, berry-colored two-piece suit with a belted back.

She also made waves after donning a gorgeous gray-blue coat to her swearing in ceremony.

The wife and mother hails from New Hampshire, and ran for the U.S. House to represent New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District in 2022.

While the general public is fast becoming familiar with the blonde’s professional life, not as much is known about her private life, including husband Nicholas Riccio – who is 32 years her senior.

Here, FEMAIL look into Riccio’s life, who went from rags to riches and is now married to Trump’s press secretary.

Karoline Leavitt made history when she became the country’s youngest press secretary at 27

The high achiever is also a devoted mother and a loving wife to her husband Nicholas Riccio, 59

 Who is Nicholas Riccio and how did they meet?

Riccio, 59, founded the real estate business Riccio Enterprises LLC and currently, he manages beachfront houses in New Hampshire, where the couple is from.

While he has a successful business now, the doting husband hasn’t always had a stable home.

According to the Portsmouth Herald, Riccio was living on the streets by the age of 18, relying on friends for basic hygrine.

‘When I was 19 or 20, I would call my buddies to go over their houses to watch a game just so I could take a shower,’ Riccio told the local newspaper in 2005.

He attended Plymouth State University, and kickstarted his career in real estate after completing a course in 1990.

It is unknown how the couple met, with very few posts about Riccio on Leavitt’s social media account. He also does not appear to have a public account of his own.

The List published a theory that the couple met when Leavitt ran for a seat in Congress, representing New Hampshire’s first district, in 2022, and Riccio was working on her campaign finance committee.

Some of Riccio’s properties have also been used to host the Women for Trump event, which Leavitt attended.

Welcome to MAGALAND: Insider Trump’s Second 100 Days – The podcast bringing you the latest news and gossip from the White House. Listen here.