Karoline Leavitt's Confession About Her Age-Gap Husband Confirms What We All Suspected

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is only 27 years old, and a whopping 32 years younger than Leavitt's decades-older husband, Nicholas Riccio, whom she married in January 2025, a mere six months after the happy couple welcomed their son, Nico. The significant age gap has raised eyebrows, as did the fact that the wedding took place after Leavitt had a baby out of wedlock. "Karoline Leavitt — pregnant before marriage, engaged in December 2023, had a baby in July 2024, and married a rich man 30+ years older than her. Constantly lectures the country about Christian values and the dangers of immorality," one critic penned on Facebook. Interestingly enough, though, it's not just the public that has reservations about Leavitt and Riccio's age gap. 

On "The Megyn Kelly Show," the host asked Leavitt whether it made her hesitant to date him at first. "Of course," the Trump staffer replied. "It's [a] very atypical love story. But he's incredible. He is my greatest supporter, he's my best friend, he's my rock." Leavitt added that, because Riccio has already fulfilled many of his goals, he fully supports hers. The youngest White House press secretary in history didn't elaborate on what exactly assuaged her doubts, but our expert has an idea about why she decided age is just a number. 

"Karoline's incredibly composed in her public role. She's well-spoken, steady, and always knows how to answer a question without skipping a beat. That tells me she's got a high level of emotional intelligence and self-awareness, which goes a long way in making something like this work," Anthony Recenello, a dating expert and the host of Paramount+'s "Love Allways," told The List exclusively. "A relationship like theirs doesn't function unless both people are bringing that kind of clarity and maturity to the table."

While age gaps often evoke public scrutiny, dating expert Anthony Recenello pointed out that there's no proof that being far apart in age automatically dooms a romance — as long as the couple in question communicates properly. "The age difference can highlight mismatches faster, but it doesn't cause them," Recenello clarified. Karoline Leavitt and Nicholas Riccio are both very successful individuals in their fields, which can naturally bring about its own challenges. As Recenello explained, "That dynamic could be tough for some couples, but if they've embraced each other's worlds instead of trying to mold the other into something else, that's a good sign."

But whether they're truly comfortable living in each other's respective worlds remains a bit of a mystery. Notably, Leavitt's 2025 Mother's Day posts were missing one very awkward thing: Her husband. The snap that the Trump staffer shared on Instagram only included herself and her son. In April, at least, Riccio made an appearance on his wife's feed when they both attended the White House Easter Egg Roll, but many of the comments made fun of the massive age gap between the couple. "The tradition of bringing your dad and baby to the... oh wait, that's your husband," one critic penned. Another added, "Beautiful picture of you and your daughter with her grandpa."

Snide commentary aside, Recenello reckons it's unlikely that Leavitt and Riccio's glaring age gap will inevitably cause their marriage to crumble. "At the end of the day, it's not about age — it's about alignment," he noted. "If they both came in with honest intentions and want the same kind of future, their relationship has just as much of a shot as any other."