US3 min(s) read
Published 15:36 07 May 2026 GMT
Karoline Leavitt has welcomed her second child with husband Nicholas Riccio after previously opening up about her concerns over their 31-year age gap.
The White House press secretary announced on Instagram that she gave birth to a baby girl named Viviana, also known as "Vivi," on May 1.
"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," the 28-year-old wrote.
She thanked supporters who had reached out during her pregnancy. "I truly felt them throughout the entire experience. God is Good," she added.
The couple already shares son Nicholas Robert "Niko" Riccio, who was born in July 2024.
Leavitt is now taking maternity leave from her role in the Trump administration as she spends time with her newborn daughter.
Following her announcement, attention has shifted toward how White House press briefings will operate during her absence.
Rather than appointing a temporary replacement, the administration reportedly plans to use a rotating "tag-team" system involving the Vice President, Cabinet members, and potentially even President Trump himself, handling media briefings, Daily Mail revealed.
Since becoming the youngest press secretary in US history during Trump’s second term, Leavitt’s relationship with Riccio has attracted attention because of their 31-year age difference.
Riccio, a 59-year-old millionaire real estate developer, married Leavitt in January shortly before Trump’s inauguration.
During an appearance on The Megyn Kelly Show earlier this year, she admitted she initially had concerns about their relationship.
"I mean, it's a very atypical love story, but he's incredible," she shared. "He's the father of my child and he's the best dad I could ever ask for... I say, 'I walked into your life and it's been a circus ever since,' but God bless him because he's fully on board."
She also described Riccio as her "greatest supporter," adding: "He's my best friend and he's my rock...he's built a very successful business himself, so now he's fully supportive of me building my success in my career."
The couple first met during Leavitt’s unsuccessful congressional campaign in New Hampshire in 2022.
"A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband," she said. "I was speaking. We met and we were acquainted as friends. And then we fell in love."
Leavitt previously revealed that she returned to work just days after giving birth to Niko in 2024 following the assassination attempt on the president during the campaign trail.
"I looked at my husband and said, 'Looks like I’m going back to work,'" she told The Conservateur in October.
After welcoming her first son, she also reflected on becoming a mother for the first time.
“My heart has grown bigger than I ever imagined possible,” she wrote in an Instagram post. “Babies are the ultimate blessing, and I’m bursting with gratitude for our beautiful, happy, healthy boy.”
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