Social media users accused White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt of using filters and airbrushing tools to make her husband, who is 32 years her senior, look younger in her recent Instagram post.
Since becoming the spokesperson for the Trump administration, Leavitt, 28, has faced scrutiny for her relationship with Nicholas Riccio, 60. The two became engaged at the end of 2023, had a son named Niko in July 2024 and had a wedding in January 2025.
Sunday was no different after Leavitt posted a photo depicting herself and Riccio posing with their one-year-old son at the White House Halloween celebration. Commenters questioned whether Leavitt had used tools to make her husband appear younger.
“Karoline, Awesome picture but my friends noticed something: The guy on the left seems to have only his face photoshopped. His hands look like 60+ years old. What happened?” An Instagram commenter wrote.
Another Instagram commenter points out a similar detail, “Old man hands blow your cover up Karoline. Your husband's face does not match his hands.”
“Man that smoothing filter on her old man’s forehead working overtime,” another Instagram user commented.
“Adobe ad for Photoshop,” one social media user quipped.
“Photoshopping your husband to own the libs,” photographer Pat Ozols wrote.
While the photo appeared to be edited for lighting and color reasons, it was not immediately apparent Leavitt had used Photoshop, FaceTune or other appearance-enhancing applications to make her husband appear younger.
Riccio’s facial appearance in news wire photos, taken by Getty Images at the White House Halloween celebration, looks nearly identical to the photo Leavitt posted. Though the news wire photos contain more skin details, it does not appear that his facial shape was altered.
The Independent has asked the White House for comment.
Leavitt has kept her relationship with Riccio relatively private, occasionally posting photos of him on her social media and rarely speaking about him in interviews. Of the information she has given, she’s called their love story “very atypical.”
The White House press secretary told The Megyn Kelly Show in February that she and Riccio met at a dinner in New Hampshire while Leavitt was running for Congress. Leavitt said she was apprehensive about dating a man much older than her, but they fell in love.
“He’s my greatest supporter, he’s my best friend, he’s my rock,” Leavitt said of her husband.
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