Karoline Leavitt, 28, discreetly removed her 60-year-old husband’s face from recent photographs following criticism for purportedly photoshopping him into a family image.
The White House Press Secretary posted Instagram stories on Sunday that seemed to display Nicholas Riccio’s torso, arms, legs, and even feet, yet conveniently omitted any part of his body above the shoulders.
Leavitt's most recent collection of images follows her slideshow post from November 2, where the initial photograph seemed to feature Riccio, along with their 16-month-old son, Niko, who was dressed in a pumpkin costume. Commenters alleged that she deliberately edited the face of the real estate magnate.
Karoline Leavitt under fire
Reacting to the post, one Instagram user remarked, “The airbrushing of your hubs face to make him appear younger was the trick.”
{{/usCountry}}Reacting to the post, one Instagram user remarked, “The airbrushing of your hubs face to make him appear younger was the trick.”
{{/usCountry}}“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,” another added. “What happened?”
The fresh images, which she shared with her more than 2.6 million followers, seemed to show the couple enjoying time with Niko while visiting a church.
One image, titled, “coffee + play time in bed” accompanied by a white heart emoji, depicted the couple's son on a blanket, reaching for a toy from an individual lying down, who seems to be Riccio.
The man is attired entirely in black, with his right arm in view and his head omitted from the frame.
Leavitt, a Catholic, also shared a photograph of a Bible verse, which she captioned “Sunday service” accompanied by the praying hands emoji. In the upper left corner, a pair of a man's suede shoes can be seen resting on the red carpet.
Additional images featured her preparing cinnamon rolls after church visit, enjoying a football game with Niko, showcasing the couple's Christmas tree, and taking a mirror selfie with the child on her hip.
The youngest individual to serve as White House press secretary — and a former candidate for Congress in New Hampshire — characterized her meeting with Riccio in 2022 as “a very atypical love story.”
Leavitt welcomed Niko into the world last July and wed the New Hampshire real estate developer this past January.
Her husband's company, Riccio Enterprises LLC, oversees beachfront properties in the Granite State.
Leavitt has not yet responded to the criticism.