Social media buzzes over Karoline Leavitt's age as she shares her pregnancy news

28-year-old White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has shared pictures of her baby bump on Christmas Day. Leavitt and her husband Nicholas Riccio are already parents to 17-year-old baby boy Niko. They are now expecting a girl, Karoline shared the news on Instagram.

“The greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for - a baby girl coming in May 2026.☺️” wrote Press Secretary in an Instagram post. My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother. My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth. 🥹"

Who is Nicholas Riccio?

Nicholas Riccio is a real estate entrepreneur. His business, Riccio Enterprises, manages 15 properties in Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. He studied at Plymouth State University, during which he reportedly had periods of financial hardship and even homelessness. His story is another one of “rags to riches”.

Why is social media buzzing?

Ricco is 60, and Leavitt is 28. The two met when she was 25 years old, during her congressional campaign in 2022. She was on The Megyn Kelly Show and running for a Congress seat in New Hampshire in 2022. She, however, lost the election to Democrat Chris Pappas. The age difference between them is the thing that got social media talking.

"Leavitt’s husband was 32 when she was born and 50 when she turned 18. Riccio will also be 78 when this kid graduates high school." said one user, “I’m really tired of Christian Conservatives normalising paedophiles and creeps having kids they can’t care for”. Leavitt, when discussing the age gap, said it was "atypical" to be concerned at first. But later, it implied he was more supportive. “He's built a very successful business himself, so now he's fully supportive of me building my success in my career," said Leavitt.