Karoline Leavitt's Older Husband Has Been Called Some Savage Nicknames

It's no secret that Karoline Leavitt has a massive age gap with her husband, but that hasn't stopped a number of social media users from chiming in every time she posts a picture of them together. Unsurprisingly, some of what's been said has been downright brutal. 

Hate on Leavitt's relationship with Nicholas Riccio began right from the moment she posted about their engagement on Instagram. Rather than paying attention to her flashy engagement ring, critics poked fun at Riccio, with one Instagram user writing, "So sweet of your dad to be there with you." Yikes. Scores more wrote that the age gap (for reference, there are 32 years between the lovebirds) was a little uncomfortable to digest. 

Unfortunately for Leavitt and Riccio, public opinion hasn't died down in the time since their engagement. Au contraire, in response to the first picture of the two of them with their newborn son shared to Leavitt's Instagram, one hater quipped, "Grandfather of the baby?" Likewise, when Leavitt shared pictures of her and Riccio's wedding day, countless Instagram users poked fun at them. The most savage reply, though, was, "True humanitarian! Marrying the elderly." When Riccio brought their son to the White House to visit Leavitt a few weeks after she'd posted their wedding pics, the trolling continued. The most brutal response, this time? "'Listen here Johnny when I was your age, daddy was 25 years old already,'" the commenter wrote. Suffice it to say, Leavitt's detractors probably aren't going to tire of this line any time soon. 

This may come as a shock to many of Karoline Leavitt's haters, but as it turns out, even without their constant reminders, she actually knows her husband is significantly older than her. In fact, she spoke about it in an episode of "The Megyn Kelly Show."

"I met my husband during my congressional campaign. A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband, and I was speaking, and you know, we met, we were acquainted as friends, and then we fell in love," she recounted to Kelly. Asked if the age difference had been something she'd considered, Leavitt replied, "Yes, of course! I mean, it's [a] very atypical love story." Even so, she went on to gush that he was her best friend and greatest supporter. Of course, many had a field day when it came to her comments on parenting alongside him, with many viewing Leavitt's boasting as an awkward age-gap related blunder. The comment in question? "He's the best dad I could ever ask for," she'd said ... and given the past "Dad" jokes, we're not surprised they jumped on it. Even so, she went on to say that he'd stuck around even amid all the press attention she got throughout the campaign for Donald Trump's presidency. 

Ultimately, the only person who can choose Leavitt's partner is Leavitt herself — and based on what she's said, it certainly seems as though she and Nicholas Riccio are happy, age gap or not. Plus, while unorthodox for many, there are plenty of politicians with major relationship age gaps that have panned out pretty successfully. Like we said, though, something tells us those opposed to Leavitt probably won't quit the savage commentary on Riccio's age.