Karoline Leavitt made history when she became the youngest White House press secretary at the age of 27, but her life beyond the podium has remained centered on her husband, Nicholas Riccio, and their two young children.
Leavitt announced on Wednesday, August 12, that she was stepping down from the position to spend more time with her family.
The decision brought renewed attention to the people closest to her, including the successful real estate entrepreneur she married and the children they welcomed while her political career continued to rise.
Leavitt leaves the White House as a history-making press secretary, wife and mother of two who reached one of Washington’s most prominent positions before turning 30.
From New Hampshire to the White House
Leavitt was born on August 24, 1997, in Atkinson, New Hampshire.
She studied communications and political science at Saint Anselm College, where she began gaining professional experience through internships with Fox News and the White House press office during Trump’s first administration.
Speaking to Politico in 2020, Leavitt said those opportunities gave her a “first glimpse into the world of press.”
Her early experience eventually helped carry her into national politics and the highest levels of White House communications.
Trump selected Leavitt to serve as his press secretary in November 2024, when she was 27.
At the time of the announcement, Trump predicted that she would “excel at the podium” and help communicate his administration’s message to the American public.
Her appointment made Leavitt the youngest person ever chosen to serve as White House press secretary.
The demanding position placed her in front of reporters as one of the administration’s most recognizable public representatives.
While performing that high-profile role, Leavitt was also navigating major changes at home as her family grew from three members to four.
Her marriage to Nicholas Riccio
Leavitt and Riccio became engaged on Christmas Day in 2023.
She announced the milestone on Instagram by sharing a photograph of her diamond engagement ring and another image showing Riccio on one knee during the proposal.
“The best Christmas of my life,” she wrote.
“I get to marry the man of my dreams. I feel SO overwhelmingly BLESSED. Thank you God.”
The couple kept their wedding private, and the information provided does not reveal precisely when the ceremony took place. Leavitt later identified herself as a wife in her Instagram biography.
Leavitt and Riccio have a 32-year age difference, but their relationship has remained focused on their shared family life.
Riccio built his career in real estate after experiencing a difficult start that included living on the street.
His business journey began when he drove through Hampton Beach and noticed a neighborhood filled with buildings requiring extensive renovation. He purchased one of the properties and began restoring it.
By 2005, Riccio had acquired 15 buildings on M Street containing a total of 70 residential units.
He went on to establish Riccio Enterprises LLC and build a multimillion-dollar real estate business. His property portfolio now extends from Boston to New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
Riccio’s rise from homelessness to successful property entrepreneur became a remarkable story of persistence and professional achievement.
A growing family away from politics
Leavitt and Riccio welcomed their first child, Nicholas Robert, on July 10, 2024.
The new mother marked his arrival with an emotional Instagram message reflecting on the moment she first held her son.
“The moment our son was born. The moment I officially became a mom. The best moment of my life,” she wrote.
Leavitt said becoming a parent allowed her to experience a kind of love unlike anything she had known before.
“My heart has grown bigger than I ever imagined possible,” she continued. “Babies are the ultimate blessing and I’m bursting with gratitude for our beautiful, happy, healthy boy.”
She concluded her message directly to her newborn: “My son. I love you.”
The family grew again in May 2026 when Leavitt and Riccio welcomed their daughter, Vivi.
Leavitt celebrated her arrival by sharing numerous photographs of herself with the baby on Instagram.
Motherhood became an increasingly important part of Leavitt’s life as she balanced two young children with the extraordinary demands of serving as the president’s spokesperson.
Her departure from the White House now marks the beginning of a different chapter centered on spending more time with Nicholas, Vivi and her husband.
From her New Hampshire upbringing and early media internships to her historic appointment, Leavitt’s political rise unfolded rapidly.
Her announcement also revealed the priority guiding her next decision: stepping away from one of the country’s most demanding communications roles to devote more time to the family she has built with Riccio.
