Karoline Leavitt, 29, Gushes About Husband Nicholas Riccio, 60, Amid Her Final Day as Press Secretary

As Karoline Leavitt prepares to say goodbye to her post as White House Press Secretary, she’s thanking her husband, Nicholas Riccio, for his sacrifice in allowing her to reach her goals.

“He has been just an angel and a blessing to me and my kids,” Leavitt, 29, told Markie Martin on NewsNation’s Morning in America on Thursday, August 27. “[He] really has given up a lot to move to D.C., a town he’s unfamiliar with and took a step back from his own career to be here for me and support me. So thank you, honey. I love you.”

She went on to say that the birth of their second child, daughter Viviana, in May, largely prompted her decision to step down from her job.

“You know, two children at home who deserve and need their mothers 24/7 constant attention and presence. They are very young. This is a very impressionable time. And of course, we never get these years back with our young kids,” Leavitt said.

“Welcoming my daughter into this world in May, your heart changes as a mom. Only mothers understand that,” she continued. “And I just prayed on it and talked to my husband night after night about what to do and you know I love this job so much…And sometimes in life you just can’t have it all at the same time. And I realize I’m at that moment in my life right now.”

Leavitt — whose last day is Thursday — recently celebrated her birthday, showing off the lavish gifts from husband Riccio, 60.

In a photo shared to her Instagram Story on August 24, Leavitt showed two iconic orange Louis Vuitton boxes tied neatly with blue ribbon alongside three pink envelopes labeled “Mom,” “Momma” and “My Wife.”

In addition to daughter Viviana, Leavitt and Riccio welcomed son Nicholas in July 2024. They tied the knot in January 2025.