White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt celebrating her birthday by sharing pictures of her family on social media had her haters in a frenzy.
Leavitt turned 28 on Aug. 24. On that date, she posted a three-photo carousel on Instagram with her 60-year-old husband, Nicholas Riccio, and her 1-year-old son, Nicholas “Niko” Riccio.
Her first image featured the Republican party member and baby Niko on a beach. Leavitt had on a long, mesh top. Riccio joined his wife and child in the second photograph.
In the second slide, Leavitt wore a tank top that showed off her arms and bosom. One of her followers commented, “So accomplished at such a young age. You make us so proud.”
Leavitt was showered with support in the comments section, but the intended celebratory mood was dampened when some people focused on her appearance and alleged cosmetic enhancements.
For instance, one person wrote, “Happy birthday! Another year of getting all that filler and still no top lip in sight!” A similar response read, “What a rough 28 and not a lip in sight.”
“This has to be a typo. She looks 48. Wow,” a third commenter suggested about the New Hampshire native. Likewise, another Leavitt critic joked, “28 going on 50.”
Leavitt’s age has been a topic of conversation for months because of the age gap between the Saint Anselm College graduate and her spouse.
Riccio first met his future-wife in 2022 when Leavitt was a 25-year-old congressional candidate in New Hampshire. They got engaged during the Christmas holidays in December 2023.
Niko arrived on July 10, 2024. Leavitt and Riccio tied the knot in January 2025, just days before Donald Trump was inaugurated as president for a second time on Jan. 20.
“Of course. 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 said about Riccio during an interview with conservative pundit Megyn Kelly.
Leavitt has also been repeatedly targeted online and the media. In particular, trolls enjoy making fun of the youngest press secretary in American history’s makeup choices like her lipstick application.
Even the creators of “South Park” mocked Leavitt on the season 27 premiere of the animated sitcom. The July 23-dated episode titled “Sermon on the ‘Mount” portrayed the White House insider as a simpleminded lackey for Trump.
