Karoline Leavitt’s marriage to Nicholas Riccio has sparked chatter, thanks to the couple’s surprisingly wide age gap — and plenty of people are wondering if she’s his first wife. Leavitt is 32 years younger than Riccio. The White House press secretary was 25 when she and the real estate developer first crossed paths during her 2022 run for Congress. The story goes that a mutual friend had invited Riccio to one of her campaign rallies in New Hampshire, where the two were introduced. Fast forward a year, and the pair became engaged and were expecting their first child together — a son named Niko, who was born in July 2024.

In January 2025, just before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Leavitt and Riccio tied the knot in a private ceremony at a famous country club in Rye, New Hampshire. Reports indicate that the marriage marked a first for both Leavitt and the businessman, despite murmurs that the union might not have been his first trip down the aisle. Of course, the fact that Riccio was a bachelor before marrying Leavitt only raises questions about their strange, massive age-gap romance — and let’s just say, critics haven’t been exactly kind. Everything from “gramps” to Leavitt’s sugar daddy – Riccio has been called some savage nicknames online.

“You and your grandpa how cute,” wrote one user underneath an Instagram pic Leavitt shared with her husband. “This is so sad! She looks 45 but she’s in her twenties! Also, I thought that was her father!” another remarked. Even Jimmy Kimmel roasted their relationship with one snarky sentence on his late-night show in 2025.

Karoline Leavitt has addressed their age gap

Karoline Leavitt has since addressed the controversy surrounding her 32-year age gap with her husband. In 2025, she appeared on “The Megyn Kelly Show” and said that, while their relationship is very “atypical,” she wouldn’t trade it for anything. She went on to list the qualities that make Nicholas Riccio an amazing husband. “He’s incredible, he’s my greatest supporter, he’s my best friend, he’s my rock,” Leavitt gushed. “And he’s built a very successful business himself, so he’s fully supportive of me building my success in my career.”

However, things got a bit awkward as Leavitt tried to praise his parenting skills by saying, “He’s the father of my child, of course, and he’s the best dad I could ever ask for” — when what she meant to say was that Riccio is the best dad she could ever ask for their son, Niko. She continued by sharing how supportive Riccio has been since assuming her role as Donald Trump’s press secretary at the start of 2025. “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.”

The interview marked one of the rare moments Leavitt has opened up about her marriage. Earlier, she explained that Riccio rarely appears on her Instagram as he prefers to stay out of social media. “He’s an introvert (complete opposite of me),” Leavitt told her followers (via People). “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,” she added.