COLD FRONT ON LIVE TV: Stephen Colbert Eviscerates Karoline Leavitt Over Husband’s Fast-Tracked Deals — One Line Had the Room Holding Its Breath

The studio lights burned hot, but the air between Stephen Colbert and Karoline Leavitt was ice-cold. Leavitt, White House Press Secretary, sat poised at the desk, briefing cards perfectly squared, smile steady. Only the slight movement of her right thumb along the edge of her notes betrayed the stakes.

She was there to defend her husband, Nicholas Riccio, after weeks of headlines tying his redevelopment firm to political favoritism, insider access, and a string of unusually fast-tracked contracts. The whispers had sharpened into allegations—especially over Riccio’s ties to Alexandra Roth, a housing executive who’d reportedly become a “family friend” and guest at the Riccios’ Nantucket property.

Leavitt expected Colbert to joke, jab, and move on. Instead, he arrived with a manila folder, a timeline, and no warm-up.