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KAROLINE Leavitt has successfully maintained privacy around her marriage, despite gaining widespread recognition as White House press secretary for Donald Trump.
At the age of 27, the New Hampshire native tied the knot discreetly with real estate tycoon Nicholas Riccio, who is 59 years old. Their wedding took place before the arrival of their first son, Niko, in July 2024.
As a Gen Z Republican, Leavitt consistently shares personal and political updates on her Instagram page, where she has over 344,000 followers.
Known for her strong personality and firm opinions, this mother, who has a fondness for guns, made headlines after she strongly responded to journalists and criticized former President Joe Biden during her inaugural press conference on Tuesday.
However, Leavitt has mostly kept quiet about her marriage to Riccio after announcing their engagement with a picture of her diamond ring on Christmas 2023.
“I get to marry the man of my dreams. I feel SO overwhelmingly BLESSED. Thank you God,” she wrote at the time.
Before announcing their engagement, Leavitt posted rare pictures of Riccio and explained that the real estate developer preferred to stay away from social media.
She revealed in a comment, which now appears to be deleted, that the two met through “a mutual friend at a political function,” according to the Daily Mail.
Leavitt also calmed worries from her Instagram followers who wondered about Riccio’s whereabouts when he wasn’t featured in a post about their newborn in July.
“He’s right by our side!” Leavitt commented at the time.
“He just hates social media and I respect that.”
Leavitt and Riccio have a 32-year age gap between them, which has caused online critics to question the relationship.
However, the backlash hasn’t stopped Leavitt from posting about her family life.
“He doesn’t have social media and he’s an introvert (complete opposite of me),” she previously wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
It’s unclear when Leavitt and Riccio officially tied the knot, but she’s publicly referred to him as her husband multiple times.
RAGS TO RICHES
Riccio is a real estate developer and the manager of his multimillion-dollar business, Riccio Enterprises LLC.
But the successful entrepreneur wasn’t always well-off – before he started his real estate company, Riccio spent years without a stable home.
He was living on the streets by the age of 18, according to the Portsmouth Herald.
“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.
After graduating from Plymouth State University, he took a real estate course in 1990 that kickstarted his career.
He now has his own company, which owns a business called Nautical Beach Properties that rents out vacation homes in New Hampshire.
Get to know Karoline Leavitt
Donald Trump’s press secretary is the youngest White House press secretary ever at 27.
Here are some fast facts about Karoline Leavitt:
- She was raised Catholic in Atkinson, New Hampshire
- She attended Saint Anselm College
- She started her college’s first broadcasting club
- She interned at Fox News during college
- She worked as the assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany
- She won the Republican primary for the US House of Representatives in New Hampshire in 2022
- She’s married to 59-year-old entrepreneur Nicholas Riccio
- She gave birth to her first son, Niko, in July 2024
- She went back to work for Trump days after giving birth
- She had her mic cut off in a CNN interview in June 2024 after criticizing presidential debate moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper
Riccio has shown his support for his Leavitt by joining her campaign’s finance committee when she ran for Congress in 2022, according to NOTUS.
Leavitt, who lost the general election, ran on a platform of gun rights and conservative values.
She killed it! It was the most successful debut ever, and a clear contrast to the previous Administration.”
Steven Cheung
In July 2022, she posted a video of herself shooting a gun and captioned it teasing Biden to “come and take it.”
Her love of guns and dislike of Biden has been a running theme on her Instagram page as she posted harsh criticism of the former president throughout his term.
During Tuesday’s press conference, Leavitt emphasized that her time at the podium would look much different than Biden’s last four years, starting with an initiative to bring new media including podcasters and influencers into the briefing room.
“She killed it!” White House communications director Steven Cheung told The U.S. Sun. about Leavitt.
“It was the most successful debut ever, and a clear contrast to the previous Administration.”
Leavitt has long shown her dedication to Trump’s mission – even returning to work just days after giving birth.
She said she was inspired to get back on the campaign trail after witnessing the assassination attempt on Trump during his rally on July 13, 2024.
“I looked at my husband and said, ‘Looks like I’m going back to work,'” Leavitt told conservative outlet The Conservateur in October.
She added, “I felt compelled to be present in this historic moment.
“The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly.”
