The occasion was complete with a cake that included a seemingly edible crane with bits of chocolate as the dirt. The arguably wholesome pictures have attracted a flurry of negative comments online

Karoline Leavitt is 27 and her husband Nicholas Riccio is 59
Karoline Leavitt is 27 and her husband Nicholas Riccio is 59(Image: Karoline Leavitt/Instagram)

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared personal pictures of her son’s first birthday on Instagram over the weekend with one revealing a jaw-dropping present.

The 27-year-old mom threw a colorful, truck-themed birthday party for her son Niko, who just turned one year old. In a series of pictures shared on Instagram stories, Leavitt, her husband Nicholas Riccio, 59, and Niko pose for a picture in front a what appears to be a real-life-size construction crane.

It is unclear whether the construction equipment was Leavitt’s gift to her child, but it was very apparent the crane was real and operational.

The 27-year-old mom threw a colorful, truck-themed birthday party for her son Niko

The 27-year-old mom threw a colorful, truck-themed birthday party for her son Niko(Image: Karoline Leavitt/Instagram)

Social media reaction

The occasion was complete with a cake that included a seemingly edible crane with bits of chocolate as the dirt. The arguably wholesome pictures have attracted a flurry of negative comments online, stemming not from the press secretary’s competence as a parent but from her passionate support for President Donald Trump.

In the caption of the Instagram post, Leavitt described Niko as “sweet, happy, sensitive, funny, and handsome,” as she rejoiced in being able to call herself a mother. Viewers on social media quickly changed the subject.

Every aspect of Leavitt's post was under attack
Every aspect of Leavitt’s post was under attack(Image: Karoline Leavitt/Instagram)

“Poor baby boy has a Mother that b——- Americans every day,” one user replied, while another wrote, “How many mothers did you deport? How many families did you help rip apart?”

Some attacked more than her political beliefs, instead taking aim at her apparent privilege given the fancy birthday party. “Where is the nanny?” another wrote trying to undercut Leavitt’s sense of motherhood. “Maybe your billionaire husband can change a diaper or two?”

“Too bad his mom tells lies worse than her boss,” said another user. “Poor kid has a [expletive] example to follow… hopefully he ends up nothing like you.”

Every aspect of Leavitt’s post was under attack. One user compared the press secretary’s song choice, “Growin’ up raising you,” was a stark contradiction from her stance on the recent ICE arrests that have separated many families.

Leavitt’s attacks on the left

Leavitt has been engaged in attacks of her own, harshly criticizing CNN’s coverage of ICEBlock, which is a new app that tracks the whereabouts of ICE agents. The app was seemingly created to give migrants a chance to escape a cruel ousting from the country, but the Trump administration accused ICEBlock and CNN of “inciting violence.”

She said the app “paints a target on federal law enforcement officers’ backs.”

Her views were swatted by critics who said the app was meant as a resistance tactic, which included the app’s developer Joshua Aaron who compared today’s deportation initiatives to Nazi Germany.