White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 28, Welcomes Second Baby with Husband Nicholas Riccio, 60

May 08, 2026 by apost team

Karoline Leavitt has spent the past several months doing something no White House press secretary had ever done before — standing at the podium in the Brady Press Briefing Room, fielding questions from the press corps, visibly pregnant. When she took the role in January 2025 at the age of 27, she became the youngest press secretary in American history. When she announced her pregnancy on Dec. 26, 2025, she became the first to serve while expecting. Through one of the more turbulent news periods in recent memory, she kept showing up.

Leavitt, born Aug. 26, 1997, made the announcement on Instagram in front of a Christmas tree, cradling her growing bump in a white sweater dress. "The greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for — a baby girl coming in May 2026," she wrote. "My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can't wait to watch our son become a big brother. My heart is overflowing with gratitude to God for the blessing of motherhood, which I truly believe is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth."

She and her husband, Nicholas Riccio, born in 1966, are already parents to a son, Nicholas Robert Riccio, known as Niko, born July 10, 2024. The couple became engaged over the Christmas holiday in 2023 and met when Leavitt ran for Congress in New Hampshire in 2022 — a race she won in the Republican primary before losing in the general election. Their 32-year age difference has drawn public attention, though Leavitt has described theirs as "a very atypical love story."

She continued briefing the press through late April 2026. Then, six days before her daughter arrived, something unexpected happened at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.

On April 25, 2026, Leavitt attended the White House Correspondents' Dinner at the Washington Hilton, visibly days away from delivering. During the entertainment portion, performer Oz Pearlman — known professionally as Oz the Mentalist — worked through a segment in which he attempted to guess the name of her unborn daughter in front of the assembled crowd. He wrote his guess on a card. He revealed it. His guess was "Vivian." He was one letter away.

The moment was nearly overtaken by a separate and more alarming development: while Pearlman was revealing his guess, attendees became aware of a gunman attempting to enter the room. The disruption overtook the evening. Leavitt was not harmed.

Six days later, on May 1, 2026, Viviana arrived. On May 7, Leavitt shared the news publicly via Instagram, posting a photo of herself holding her newborn daughter.

"On May 1st, Viviana aka 'Vivi' joined our family, and our hearts instantly exploded with love," she wrot

"She is perfect and healthy, and her big brother is joyfully adjusting to life with his new baby sister. We are enjoying every moment in our blissful newborn bubble. God is Good."

Leavitt began maternity leave in late April 2026. While she is away, Cabinet members including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance have been briefing the press in her absence, with the possibility that President Trump himself may also appear at the podium.

She is expected to return after her leave. When she does, she will walk back into the briefing room as the same person she was before — the youngest press secretary in American history, now a mother of two.

apost.com

Do you think Karoline Leavitt has handled balancing her high-profile role with motherhood gracefully? Let us know in the comments and pass this on to your family, friends, and anyone who admires women doing it all!