Weird Things Everyone Ignores About Karoline Leavitt

Mega/Getty Images

In November 2024, President Donald Trump announced Karoline Leavitt as his White House press secretary, making history as the youngest person to ever assume the role at 27. "Karoline is smart, tough, and has proven to be a highly effective communicator," Trump shared in a statement to The New York Times. "I have the utmost confidence she will excel at the podium." Before this, Leavitt worked as assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany during Trump's first administration. Her next big role came in January 2024 when Trump announced her as the national press secretary for his presidential campaign.

Since stepping into her new role at the White House, Leavitt has continued to make headlines, particularly for her combative relationship with the media. Notably, Leavitt seems to be at the center of the White House's feud with the Associated Press over the publication's refusal to adopt President Trump's renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. In a retaliatory move, the White House banned the Associated Press from appearing in the Oval Office and Air Force One alongside other members of the press. While many journalists have criticized the ban, Leavitt has defended the decision, noting in her press briefing that "If we feel there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable."

Leavitt's blind loyalty to the Trump administration is however not the only weird thing there is to her.

She might be the resident White House Gen Z, but Karoline Leavitt ultimately chose to marry an older man. The 27-year-old is married to real estate mogul Nicholas Riccio, who she has a 32-year age gap with. While it's unclear when they started dating, Leavitt announced the couple's engagement in December 2023. "The best Christmas of my life. I get to marry the man of my dreams. I feel SO overwhelmingly BLESSED. Thank you, God," she wrote in an Instagram post featuring a glimpse of her engagement ring — which we asked a diamond expert to determine how much the flashy piece was — and the moment Riccio got down on one knee.

The couple later tied the knot in a private ceremony before going on to welcome their son, Nicholas Robert, in July 2024. Announcing the addition to their family, Leavitt took to Instagram, sharing pictures of her son and a heartwarming tribute. "It's true when they say there's nothing comparable to the love you feel for your child. My heart has grown bigger than I ever imagined possible," she wrote.

But while his wife has her face on television screens every day, Riccio, whom Leavitt describes as an "introvert" and "complete opposite of me" prefers to remain out of the spotlight. "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," she wrote on social media (via the Daily Mail).

Joshua Sukoff/Shutterstock

During her time as national press secretary for the Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign, Karoline Leavitt played a key role, frequently appearing on major television networks and programs to discuss Donald Trump's agenda. On July 10, 2024, Leavitt welcomed her first child with her husband, Nicholas Riccio. And while she initially considered taking maternity leave, Leavitt ended up going in the opposite direction.

Three days after the birth of her son, President Trump survived an assassination attack, and Leavitt took that as a cue to give up her maternity leave. "I looked at my husband and said 'Looks like I'm going back to work,'" she shared during an interview with The Conservateur. "The president literally put his life on the line to win this election. The least I could do is get back to work quickly." The following day, she returned to work and continued to be a major player in the Trump presidential campaign till the very end.

Leavitt's quick return to work was, however, not very surprising, especially to herself, as she had always longed to be able to get back to work soon after having her baby. "I had a feeling that I would be the type of person who would want to get back right away," she admitted in the interview with The Conservateur. But despite the dedication to her job, Leavitt soon found that being away from her newborn came with its own difficulties. "It's incredibly challenging emotionally, physically, spiritually," she opened up to the publication.

During her time at Saint Anselm College, Karoline Leavitt established herself as a staunch Trump supporter. Amid Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016, Leavitt penned an op-ed accusing Democrats of hypocrisy and using the media to push their agenda. "Liberals themselves will never admit it, but any rational and open-minded individual can see the ever-present bias that engulfs the media day in and day out," she wrote. In the essay, Leavitt defended Trump's candidacy, alleging that the media was deliberately misinforming Americans to steer election outcome in their favor.

Following Trump's victory, Leavitt remained a vocal supporter of his administration and policies. In response to Trump's 2017 travel ban on several Middle Eastern countries, she wrote another essay, arguing that the president's executive order was required to protect Americans from extremists. "I understand that it is truly unfair to all of the innocent people in these corrupt nations who want to come here to live a safe life. But so do Americans, whose home this already is," Leavitt asserted.

Leavitt further defended Trump's decision, writing that contrary to popular opinion, it was not rooted in discrimination. "Anyone who believes otherwise is acting on pure emotions stemmed from their ongoing hatred for Trump, not facts," she added.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

In 2022, Karoline Leavitt ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New Hampshire's 1st district, ultimately losing to the incumbent congressman Chris Pappas. The election loss was, however, not the only setback Leavitt faced. That same year, Leavitt found herself in the middle of a campaign finance scandal. In November 2022, End Citizens United, a non-governmental campaign finance committee, accused Leavitt of illegally accepting donations that exceeded the stipulated limit and never repaid her donors. "Karoline Leavitt continues to prove she'll do whatever it takes to win this race, even if it means breaking the law," Tiffany Muller, president of End Citizens United, said at the time.

Three years later, Leavitt admitted to the violation after declaring that her failed campaign owed about $200,000 in refunds to donors who contributed over the legal limits. Leavitt's admission, however, was met with backlash from social media users who quickly reacted with criticism. "So @karolineleavitt stole the money. CampaignFunding is separate entities for a reason ... If she took the money from her campaign funds, then she embezzled it, she stole it, thats a crime. Lock. Her. Up." one person wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "When will we as a country start holding these crooks accountable?" another person questioned.

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Since assuming office as the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt has faced backlash for making misleading claims. During her first official White House briefing on January 28, 2025, Leavitt alleged that the Trump administration had blocked the release of millions of dollars meant to fund condoms in war-stricken Gaza. "DOGE and OMB also found that there was about to be $50 million taxpayer dollars that went out the door to fund condoms in Gaza. That is a preposterous waste of taxpayer money. So that's what this pause is focused on, being good stewards of tax dollars," Leavitt said in the press conference while defending Donald Trump's freeze on federal grants.

Leavitt's comment has, however, been dismissed by several experts given the lack of evidence. "It seems clear to me there was no $50 million in condoms going to Gaza. That is, at best, a mischaracterization," Matthew Kavanagh, Director of Georgetown University's Center for Global Health Policy and Politics, told CNN. Similarly, Jeremy Konyndyk, president of Refugees International and a former USAID official described Leavitt's claim as "total garbage."

The irony of Leavitt spreading misinformation hasn't gone unnoticed, especially given her past warnings about holding the media accountable for misrepresenting the Trump administration. But perhaps this is a reminder that those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.