It’s been an eventful month for Karoline Leavitt, and as she celebrated her 29th birthday, the White House press secretary showed off some lavish gifts from her family, including presents from her much-older husband, Nicholas Riccio, who is reportedly either 60 or 61 years old.
The post quickly sparked criticism online, with some social media users calling the display “tasteless” and “shallow.”
On Monday, Aug. 24, Leavitt shared a photo of birthday presents and cards from her family. One photo shared to her Instagram Stories showed two orange Louis Vuitton gift boxes wrapped with blue ribbons alongside a bouquet of white flowers. Three pink envelopes were also visible, addressed to “Mom,” “Momma” and “My wife.”
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Karoline Shows Off Luxury Gifts From Much-Older Husband
Leavitt captioned the post simply “29,” adding a pink heart and relieved-face emoji.
While she did not reveal what was inside the boxes or envelopes, some people on Reddit quickly weighed in on the post, with several also bringing up the couple’s 32-year age gap.
“She’s closer in age to her kids than her husband,” one person wrote.
“Louis Vuitton? Hermès? These people showing us how shallow and tasteless they are,” another commented.
“She has a lot in common with Melania,” someone else wrote. “Shameless,” another person added.
One commenter referenced Leavitt’s previous comments about Gen Z, writing, “The lady that said Gen Z is such a lazy generation and everything she has now is what she worked hard for?”
“The age gap is older than her,” another wrote.
Karoline Leaves WHPS Role To Spend Time With Family
Leavitt’s birthday came as she prepared to leave her role as White House press secretary. Earlier this month, she said she wanted to step away from the demanding position to spend more time with her family following the birth of her second child in May.
President Donald Trump first announced Leavitt’s departure in a Truth Social post on Aug. 12, while also saying she would continue to serve as one of his “top outside advisors.”
Leavitt and Riccio welcomed their son, Nicholas “Niko,” in July 2024 and their daughter, Viviana “Vivi,” in May 2026.
Trump has not yet announced who will replace Leavitt as press secretary. After leaving the White House role, Leavitt is expected to remain in Trump’s political orbit as an outside adviser through MAGA Inc., the pro-Trump super PAC where she previously worked as a spokeswoman before joining Trump’s 2024 campaign.
