FOX News host Dana Perino and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt have developed a strong bond, discussing openly a range of topics including the challenges of their demanding jobs and their relationships with their husbands, who are notably younger than them.
During a recent event in Washington DC, Perino shared with Leavitt that she experienced love at first sight when she met her husband on a flight, highlighting the unexpected and heartwarming nature of their initial encounter.
Perino, who served as press secretary for President George W. Bush, engaged in a candid conversation with Leavitt at a Fox Nation live event, where Leavitt talked about her recently published book.
She introduced no-nonsense Leavitt by saying, “She has taken the country by storm. As my mom said, she’s a real pistol.
“I wanted to do this tonight because I was the first Republican woman to be press secretary.
“She is the youngest. And we have a connection. And, like, we have become good friends,” the Fox News star said.
While Perino opened up about her husband, who she dedicated her book to, the anchor recalled the difficulty she had finding her ideal partner as she balanced her career with her personal life.
She said, “When I first moved here, I was single, and I realized after like a couple of years I hadn’t been on a date. I mean, people might go hang out at Tortilla Coast.”
A sympathetic Leavitt, 27, responded, “Who has time for that?”
Perino, 52, described suffering a “quarter-life crisis” at the age of 25.
“Nothing in my life was turning out the way I thought it was going to,” she said.
She added that she had “given up” her dream of working for a TV show, which is now ironic as she currently co-anchors Fox News Channel’s morning news and co-hosts The Five.
Months after the self-described crisis, Perino met her husband-to-be, English-born Peter McMahon.
“I ended up on a plane sitting next to a guy who was British, 18 years older than me, just divorced, had only recently taken his wedding ring off.
“And we ended up talking the entire time. We call it love at first flight,” said Perino.
She added, “And I knew I wanted to be with him, but I did have a lot of that worry about: one, what would it do to my career if I decided to leave and move to England, of all places?
“And, two, what would people think about me? He was 18 years older than me. Was that going to be something that people thought was a bad decision?”
Get to know Karoline Leavitt
Donald Trump’s press secretary is the youngest White House press secretary ever at 27.
Here are some fast facts about Karoline Leavitt:
- She was raised Catholic in Atkinson, New Hampshire
- She attended Saint Anselm College
- She started her college’s first broadcasting club
- She interned at Fox News during college
- She worked as the assistant press secretary under Kayleigh McEnany
- She won the Republican primary for the US House of Representatives in New Hampshire in 2022
- She’s married to 59-year-old entrepreneur Nicholas Riccio
- She gave birth to her first son, Niko, in July 2024
- She went back to work for Trump days after giving birth
- She had her mic cut off in a CNN interview in June 2024 after criticizing presidential debate moderators Dana Bash and Jake Tapper
Leavitt, whose husband is 27 years her senior, nodded as Perino spoke about her marriage before sharing her own experience.
The press secretary went on to call her husband, Nicholas Riccio, her “rock.”
Riccio, 60, is a real estate tycoon who tied the knot with Leavitt in January. Leavitt and Riccio share their 10-month-old son Niko.
“My husband is actually here with us tonight in the audience. He is a quiet supporter,” Leavitt said.
“He’s probably so embarrassed I just called him out. But he’s amazing. He’s my rock, just like Peter,” she said, referencing Perino’s husband.
WORK PRESSURE
The women also talked about work pressures and the struggle to achieve a work-life balance.
Perino explained that she initially took on too much work.
“One of the things that happens when you leave a job, especially a press secretary job, is that you think that the last call you get is going to be the last call you will ever get,” shesaid.
“So in that first year, I said yes to everything. I said yes to every charity event, every opportunity to be on a charity board…”
But when she changed jobs and joined the broadcaster, Leslie Marshall, who was a Fox News contributor, gave her some great advice.
“I just felt so overwhelmed.
“And she said, ‘Here’s the rule of three: you have to ask yourself with any opportunity, ‘am I going to get paid? Does it help a cause that I care about, and do I want to do it?’
“So those three things – asking myself those three questions has really helped me.
“I’ve held on to that for 15 years, ever since she told me.”
Perino has referred to her strong marriage and impressive career in her new book, “I Wish Someone Had Told Me: The Best Advice For Building A Great Career And A Meaningful Life,” which is available to buy now.
