White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on Friday that she’s expecting to become a mom for the second time.
“The greatest Christmas gift we could ever ask for — a baby girl coming in May 2026,” she wrote on Instagram. “My husband and I are thrilled to grow our family and can’t wait to watch our son become a big brother.”
Leavitt, 28, and her 60-year-old husband, Nicholas Riccio, are already parents to son Niko, who was born in July 2024.
The youngest White House press secretary ever shared a photo of her cradling her growing baby bump while standing in front of a Christmas tree. She also posted a picture of 17-month-old Niko holding a stuffed bear that’s wearing a T-shirt reading “I’m the big brother.”
Leavitt’s announcement gave thanks to God for the “the blessing of motherhood,” which she described as the “closest thing to Heaven on Earth.”
“I am also extremely grateful to President Trump and our Chief of Staff Susie Wiles for their support, and for fostering a pro-family environment in the White House,” she wrote. “2026 is going to be a great year and I am so excited to be a girl mom!”
Leavitt and Riccio met in 2022 when she unsuccessfully ran for Congress in her native New Hampshire. They were introduced at an event hosted by a mutual friend and got engaged at Christmastime in 2023. They tied the knot in January of this year, just days before Trump’s second inauguration.
A profile published by New Hampshire outlet WMUR said the hometown Republican is the youngest of three children. Leavitt described herself as coming from a “middle class, blue collar, small business family,” with companies that have included an auto operation and an ice cream stand.
Riccio is a real estate developer who Leavitt called her “rock” in an interview recorded earlier this year for “The Megyn Kelly Show.”
Kelly was among the first to congratulate Leavitt and her growing family on Instagram Friday.
“Congrats!! She’ll always have her big bro looking out for her. Great news KL,” the conservative podcaster wrote.
Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna and socialite Bettina Anderson, who recently got engaged to Donald Trump Jr., also expressed excitement over the news by posting emojis of smiling faces with hearts popping out of their eyes.
