Karoline Leavitt has achieved a lot before she's even reached 30. She's the youngest White House press secretary in history, and she's married with a son. However, pretty much all her professional and personal accomplishments have been overshadowed by her age-gap relationship with husband Nicholas Riccio
. The duo are 32 years apart in age — a bigger gap than that of Donald and Melania Trump — and it's the sole focus anytime Leavitt decides to post a picture of her family on Instagram.While Leavitt's
age gap with her husband isn't a big deal, it's still hard not to notice, considering how she is part of Gen Z, while Riccio is a Gen Xer. With that in mind, the real estate developer looks like either Leavitt's dad or grandfather when they are pictured together, and it's a hard thing to unsee. It doesn't really matter what they're doing; they don't look like a couple at first glance.
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When He Dressed Like A Dapper Dan
In March 2025, Nicholas Riccio brought son Niko to visit Karoline Leavitt at the West Wing in the White House. Mom, dad, and baby all looked thrilled to be together at Leavitt's job, but Riccio's pinstriped suit ended up stealing the show. It made him fully look his age — like a Dapper Dan at Disneyland. Naturally, some comments on Instagram poked fun at the outfit. "Why is gramps dressed like a 1930's gangster?" asked one person. "All 3 of you look beautiful but grandpa is more fashionable," someone else flippantly posted.
When The Family Went On A Weekend Getaway To Florida
Karoline Leavitt's family of three relaxed during the first weekend in May 2025 by hanging out at West Palm Beach, Florida. She posted photos to Instagram highlighting the weekend getaway. Hidden in the carousel was a pic of Nicholas Riccio kissing baby Niko on the cheek. It was a sweet snapshot, except that Riccio really looked his age in the pic. Unlike with the White House picture, this one brought in a lot more grandpa-related remarks by trolls. "The baby looks a lot like his Grandfather that's holding him," teased one Instagram user, while another asked Leavitt if she made sure to pack both Niko and Riccio's diapers for the trip.
When He Was On Wagon Duty
Over the Fourth of July weekend in 2025, Karoline Leavitt shared several pics on Instagram of the "best weekend of the year celebrating the best country in the world." This included one photo of Nicholas Riccio pulling Niko in a wagon. Though he looked good in his shades, Riccio did appear his age in the snapshot. Wagon pulling seems like a grandparent thing to do, so this act didn't help Riccio look younger. Granted, Leavitt and her husband live a wildly lavish life, so they're getting the last laugh here.
When The Family Went To The Easter Egg Roll
Karoline Leavitt made the 2025 White House Easter Egg Roll a family affair when she brought Nicholas Riccio and Niko. However, her attempt to parade her age-gap marriage to millions backfired on Instagram, where trolls flooded the comments with cruel comments. Many remarks called Riccio a variation of "grandpa," and one person pointed out the dark shades he rocked. "She had him keep those glasses on for a reason," someone commented. "He bears quite the resemblance to her father." Well, they're not wrong.
When He Showed His Playful Side
In a video for son Niko's first birthday on July 10, 2025, Karoline Leavitt made a collage of clips celebrating her child's special day. Included in the Instagram post was Nicholas Riccio playing with Niko, showing the tike three small balls. As were all moments captured between father and son, it was precious — yet Riccio appeared more like Niko's young grandfather, instead of his dad. Despite that, Niko will one day be able to look back on this memento and see how much he is loved.
When He Watched Fireworks With Niko
This snapshot of Nicholas Riccio from Karoline Leavitt's Fourth of July weekend doesn't scream "Grandpa" — it more just whispers the word. The White House press secretary has accidentally put her major age gap with her husband on blast numerous times, but she's also done the same for Riccio and son Niko. Riccio is nearly 60 years older than his child, which makes him sound like Niko's grandfather instead of his dad. As Niko grows up, so will Riccio, which means the real estate developer will be in his late 70s by the time Niko is an adult — just like with Donald Trump and son Barron Trump.
Read the original article on The List.
